Promise
by SmutMaker
Summary: Within the magazine industry, three women stand at the head of the biggest fashion magazine company. When a new model, Nico, arrives, new relations are made as she rises up the ranks. Now rated M for mature themes.
1. Cherry Blossoms in the Wind

Within the magazine industry, three women stand at the head of the biggest fashion magazine company. Though their connections may be ominous, their hearts are true.

Nico walked through the glass doors of Promise Publications, heading to her first day at her new modeling job. The company had increased in size recently, gaining over 1,000 applicants for five modeling positions. The process was rigorous, and every single applicant had to be willing to model anything. Once Nico got in, she checked her email once more.

Miss Yazawa,

You have been assigned to the flower shoot.

Please report to set 3-A for this shoot.

Promise Publications

Arriving at set 3-A several minutes later, she was met with people buzzing about. A majority of them were fitting outfits onto models, only 8 models actually being on sight, including Nico.

A shoot was already going on, featuring a pair that had recently been taking the modeling world by storm: Rin Hoshizora and Hanayo Koizumi.

They were placed in a train-like setting, large fans on them to give a windblown look. Rin was wearing a red and cream shirt under overalls, but one side of the overalls had come off her shoulder, and she was trying to keep her brown fedora from flying off as she posed in a standing position, looking out to the cherry blossom background. Next to her, with a brown suitcase between them, was Hanayo. She posed with a camera, taking a picture of Rin, her brown, two layer skirt fluttering in the breeze, complementing her green shirt, which bore a pink floral print.

"Can you believe how beautiful they look?" A voice said, startling Nico. It was another model, a girl with purple hair put into low pigtails. She wore a flower crown on top of her head, a cream colored skirt contrasting with a purple shirt and a denim jacket, black thigh highs covering her legs. She extended a hand, "Nice to meet you, I'm Nozomi. Nozomi Tojo."

"Um... Nice to meet you too, I'm Nico Yazawa. So... uh... How'd they get a main shoot job so quickly? Weren't they modeling lingerie just a few months ago?"

"Hoshizora and Koizumi? They still model lingerie, you have to be willing to do anything to work here at Promise. One of the CEOs is a fan of them. Of course, each of the three have their favorites."

"Wait, there's three CEOs? I didn't think that was possible."

"Apparently they make it work out, no one knows how they do i-"

At that moment, Rin finally lost grip of her hat, and, in a panic to grab it, one of the photographers knocked over a bin of cherry blossom petals, causing them to go flying in the gust of the fans. A photo was taken.

"Finished! Beautiful!" hollered one of the photographers, "Mido! Miyashita! You're up next!"

"Set change!"

"You're Yazawa, right?" Nico turned to an ashen-haired girl carrying a bag. She wore a grey blazer over a pink maxi dress.

"Yeah, Nico Yazawa."

"Ah, okay~ My name is Kotori Minami! Here's your clothes!" She pushed the bag into Nico's hands and left. Nico looked around, there didn't seem to be any changing rooms around.

"Just change out in the open, everyone does it," Nozomi suggested, "Wait... is this your first modeling job?"

Nico nodded, "Yeah, right out of college..."

Nozomi looked at Nico hard, then grabbed Nico's arm, bringing her ear close to Nozomi's mouth, "Watch out, Nicocchi... they have their eyes on you..."

Nozomi walked a little farther away, talking to a hyper orange-haired girl. Nico changed as quickly as she could, dressing in a black pinstripe skirt, pink thigh highs, a red shirt, and a blue blazer. It seemed fashionable enough.

Waiting for her own shoot, Nico watched two other models pose against a pastel pink background, their matching dresses light yellow in color, adorned with small flowers. Like Rin and Hanayo, Yuri and Coco had an energy about them, they were a good pairing. Their shoot didn't take long, the photographers soon calling for the next set of models.

"Tojo, Minami, Kosaka, and... Yazawa!"

The four of them walked over to the next set, designed to look like a grassy knoll, then they were each given a flower. Nico recognized the orange-haired girl from earlier, who must've been Honoka Kosaka. Honoka was wearing a gray hoodie, a red plaid skirt, and a black fanny pack.

The photographers turned the bright lights on, blinding Nico for a moment. In the white-washed blur of vision, Nico swore she saw a blonde woman standing in the corner, looking on with blue eyes. By the time Nico's vision was clear again, the woman was gone.

"Aaaannnnddd... 1... 2... 3... Pose!"

The four started posing, taking small breaks in between long bouts of posing to compose themselves and pose with others. In their first break, Nozomi scooted closer, posing with Nico's head laying on her shoulder as they both held their flowers. Kotori and Honoka both posed together as well, but only when the photographers told them to.

When they were finally done, they all changed quickly. Nico checked her phone; a new email had arrived.

Miss Yazawa,

You have been assigned to the afternoon lingerie shoot.

Please report to set L-2.

Promise Publications

"Oh wow, we've been put in the same lingerie shoot," Nozomi said, startling Nico again.

"Will you stop that?"

* * *

Welcome to my new story! This one is not like Activities in Darkness or Pure Love. Promise has an actual plot and continuity, it is not just one shots. It will have smut related to the plot later on, as my username implies, but I am debating whether or not to put it in a story, if that makes sense. Basically, have a T rated Promise that has plot, take the smut out of it and put it in an M rated 'story'.

Anyway, thank you for reading!


	2. Strawberries and Lace

Set L-2 seemed simple. There was one set, but quite a few pieces of furniture off to the side. The background was a soft color with white lace drapes hanging down, the furniture elegant. Unlike set 3-A, there was a changing area.

Nico and Nozomi had gotten there earlier than expected, watching as Chiduko and Jennifer finished up with the morning shoot. They were both quite busty, Nozomi the same way, leaving Nico feeling... flat.

After Chiduko and Jennifer left, Nozomi and Nico realized that they were the only two assigned to the afternoon lingerie shoot that day. Nico looked at Nozomi curiously, Nozomi glancing back stone-faced. They both headed over to the changing area, finding samples of lingerie there.

"Hey, Nozomi," Nico whispered, "are there usually only two models doing lingerie shoots?"

"Hm... it depends. Sometimes there's a lot of models, but sometimes it's just two."

"How are we chosen for shoots?"

"Them."

"You mean... the CEOs? Do they really control that much?"

"They have the power to make decisions, you know."

"Yazawa! Tojo! Let's get a move on!"

The two of them came out quickly, Nico shocked at what they were wearing. Nico was given a bra and panty set colored like strawberry milk, a soft white shimmer appearing due to the silk fabric. It was fringed with white frills and white lace, the same frills at the tops of her opaque white knee socks. Nozomi, on the other hand, was given something far less pure looking. A lavender bra held up her large chest, covered in a layer of floral black lace, a black garter belt over her lavender panties, which held up a pair of fishnet stockings with dark purple bows. The image of the two was quite contrasting.

When Nico started heading towards the set, Nozomi grabbed her wrist, gently pulling her to a makeup and hair station, where two people waited. They took out Nico's pigtails, brushing her hair out and putting it up into nicer pigtails with white satin bows, giving her soft blush, light pink lip gloss, and light pink eyeshadow, making her look innocent and youthful. Nozomi's low pigtails were also taken out, but not put back in, and she was given light mauve lipstick and smoky eyeshadow.

The contrast of the two was clearly purposeful.

They were finally allowed to get on set, where it was explained that they would be doing shoots of a few sets of lingerie each, individual shots, and that Nico was the young sweetheart and Nozomi the dark seductress.

And so, they posed. At first, they posed laying on the couch that was set up, then a few shots of Nico in Nozomi's lap. That's when Nozomi noticed the strawberries packed in one of the photographers lunch.

"Could I perhaps have a few of those strawberries?" Nozomi asked.

"Eh? The strawberries in my lunch?"

"Yes. May I?"

An assistant grabbed the container of strawberries, opening it and letting Nozomi choose one. She chose a plump one, got comfortable, and held the strawberry up to Nico.

"Say 'ahhh'~" _But don't eat the strawberry, Nicocchi._

Nico bit down on the tip of the strawberry, aiming an innocent look at the camera. Many shots were taken with the strawberries, even one of the pair feeding each other.

"Amazing!"

"Perfect!"

"Beautiful!"

The photographers sang plenty of praise, soon ending the group shoot for those sets of lingerie. The assistants moved the furniture off the set, asking Nozomi to climb down. Next, they took shots of Nico with the lace curtains wrapped around her body, sitting on her knees with a Rilakkuma plushie, laying on top of comfy blankets while she clutched a pillow, and with Nico hoisting a silver hand mirror up as she played with her hair.

Then, they moved to the second set, which they'd brought in during the first group shoot, they did Nozomi's individual shots. This set was much darker, with a medium gray background, dark purple velvet drapes, and dried rose petals everywhere. They did one of the harder shots first; a sky shot that featured Nozomi laying down among the rose petals. Then the did shots of her in the W sitting position, with Nozomi leaning forward, her breasts emphasized as she leaned on her arms. Finally, they ended the session with Nozomi laying on her stomach, reading Bram Stoker's Dracula.

"Mirror shots next!"

"Set change!"

Nico and Nozomi quickly ran over to the changing area to change. Nico ended up in something more revealing than she would've liked, wearing a pink bra that was almost white with a white bow and pink jewel in the center, paired with a white lace thong and sheer white thigh highs with lace at the top.

"H-Hey, Nozomi, what magazine will this end up in?"

"One of the lingerie magazines Promise publishes, most likely the one for adult women. They do one for teenage girls, too, but this stuff is a little too mature for that. It could also end up in Promise Magazine."

"They publish their own magazine as well?"

"Yep. It features the best models and photos from each month's publications and shoots. Since Promise does all of the photography and publication, they just ask for permission from the clothing designers."

"Not the models?"

"Everyone signs a release form with their yearly contract, so no. It's a huge honor to be put into Promise Magazine. Ah! We should get going."

They both came out of the changing area, going over to hair and makeup to have everything touched up. Nico finally got a good look at what Nozomi was wearing, which was a black lace pair of cheeky panties and a sheer black babydoll with a very revealing black leather bustier, but nothing on her legs.

They walked over to the mirror set, which was basically a giant mirror on the ground. Nozomi and Nico carefully walked over and sat down in the middle, posing with Nico's head on Nozomi's shoulder again. The assistants cleaned off the mirror quickly, the photographers taking a few shots, leading the pair to think they didn't really like their chosen pose. During their break, Nico tried to think of a new pose, but was suddenly pushed onto her back by Nozomi, with the aforementioned woman holding her down by the wrists, looming over her.

The camera went wild. Nozomi winked and smirked.

"Set change!" _That was quick, do they really like what Nozomi did that much?_

They both ran to the changing room again, but Nico stopped. The blonde woman was there again, watching in the darkness.

"Nicocchi, quickly!"

"S-Sorry, Nozomi."

Nico quickly took off the previous set of lingerie, packing it back up in the bag it came in, then dived into the next one. She put on the panties quickly, which had layers of white ruffles, as well as the pink and white striped thigh highs she was given, only to discover something was missing.

"There's no bra?!"

"I've got the same situation, just black ruffled panties and black lace knee socks," Nozomi commented, "Um… just grab the shirt you came in with and hold it over your chest, okay?"

They both hurried over to hair and makeup one last time, the hairdressers pulling Nico's pigtails out and brushing her hair smooth, leaving her hair down, like Nozomi's. They walked over to the set, which was covered in bubbly-looking things, iridescent with rainbows, and had their shirts taken.

Now, with their chests bare, Nozomi was told to lay down, legs flat and parted slightly, her right arm flat, and left arm bent and up to lay on top of her hair. Nico was told to lay down at Nozomi's right, her stomach at Nozomi's side, legs straddling Nozomi's right leg, their breasts slightly pressed together, and Nico's right arm strategically placed to cover Nozomi's nipples, and that both of them look to the camera as innocently as possible. It took some time to get Nico's arm in the right place, but the cameras soon went crazy, taking many pictures of the same pose.

"Aaannnd… done! Great job, ladies!"

The pair of models rushed over to the changing areas again, grabbing their shirts and covering themselves once again. Quickly changing, they both felt exhausted.

"Who knew modeling could be so exhausting?" Nico complained, trying her best to tie the laces on her red Converses.

"Some days are easy, others aren't. You get used to it," Nozomi assured her.

They both came out of the changing area, Nozomi waving to Nico.

"Bye bye, Nicocchi, hopefully we get to work with each other again sometime!"

"See ya, Nozomi, I hope so, too!"

Nozomi skipped out of the room, but Nico stayed for a moment, looking for the blonde woman. She seemed to have disappeared again. Nico gave up, exiting the set as well, walking down the long hallway as she yawned. It seemed that she didn't tie her shoes well enough, tripping over one her shoelaces, only to be quickly caught by the wrist. She looked up.

"Oh my, tired, are we?" the blonde woman asked, smiling, "It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Yazawa, I am Eli Ayase, one of the CEOs of Promise Publications. You did beautifully in that last shoot."

Nico hopped back onto her feet, gaining her bearings, "Oh, um, thank you, Mrs. Ayase, it's an honor to meet you."

"Miss Ayase, if you insist on formal terms. Marriage would tie me down, too much trouble. It would be my pleasure to invite you to my office, I would love for you to try something on, it just came in. After your last shoot, I think it would be perfect for you."

"Oh, sure." _I can't turn something like this down, not from one of the CEOs, I could get fired!_

Eli said nothing more, simply walking to an elevator with Nico following behind, her high heels clicking on the floor. Eli pressed the button reading 13, the silence between the two almost unbearable. Once they reached the 13th floor, Nico saw three doors, reading NISHIKINO, SONODA, and AYASE, leading Nico to assume these were each an office for one of the CEOs.

Following Eli, Nico entered the door that read AYASE, finding the office to be quite sleek and modern looking, the floors made of white marble, the walls painted white, and a massive window opposite the door, along with black furniture. Eli brought over something in a dry cleaning bag, then sat down in a chair, crossing one leg over the other.

"Well? Open it."

Nico did as she was told, "A-a dress?"

The dress had two parts; an off-shoulder white main dress, which was long sleeved with a black ribbon in the center, and a red skirt with ruffles at the bottom, a corset-like, black belt holding the two parts together.

"Try it on," Eli urged, still perfectly composed.

"Here?"

"Yes."

Nico did as she was told, afraid of being fired on her first day. She stripped down to her underwear, which was a simple matching set of black panties and a bra, then tried the dress on.

It fit perfectly.

"Mm… It looks perfect on you, Miss Yazawa, I'll certainly take this into consideration. I'll have to speak with Maki and Umi, of course, but it seems we have our two choices for this photo shoot. Thank you for trying it on for me, you may leave now, you must be tired."

"Thank you for the opportunity, Miss Ayase," Nico bowed, then took off the dress and put on her normal clothes.

Eli escorted Nico to the elevator once again, flashing a smile at Nico as the doors shut.

* * *

And the CEOs are revealed! I always love the cool girls in Love Live, even in Aqours.

Currently, I am still debating on whether or not to include smut in this story, or put it in a separate story. Any opinion is welcome on that subject.

Thank you for reading Promise.


	3. Beautiful Cursive

Nico ran towards Promise Publications. She accidentally woke up late after having a few drinks last night, causing her to nearly miss her train. She'd been working at Promise for a week now, and her friendship with Nozomi had grown since they often worked together. So, last night, she invited Nozomi over for drinks and a movie, though Nozomi had a higher tolerance for alcohol than Nico. Once she got in the doors, she felt her phone vibrate. A new email.

Miss Yazawa,

You have been reassigned to a new shoot.

Please report to set E-4.

Promise Publications

"Reassigned?" Nico didn't understand why she'd been reassigned. Her original shoot was with Kotori and Honoka. Sighing, she walked along, heading to set E-4.

"You imbecile! Your inexperience ruined the shoot!"

"You're the one who wouldn't sit still, Honoka! Have a few too many energy drinks again?"

A crowd had built up on the first floor. Nico wiggled her way through, landing in between the Kurobane sisters and Nozomi, finding out the causes of the fight. It was Honoka and Kotori, who appeared to be yelling at each other over a shoot that occurred yesterday.

Nico had recently found out that the relationship between the two had soured a couple weeks into working at Promise. They absolutely hated working together, each believing that the other ruined every shoot they participated together in, though no one knew why. The rotten feelings had been around for two years now.

"Both of you need to stop. Now." Everyone looked to the direction of the voice, the crowd parting slightly. A dark blue-haired woman came through, her hair coming down past her waist, her piercing eyes the color of amber. She wore a white trench, a dark blue dress underneath, black high heeled boots, and several silver necklaces. Nico had never seen her before.

Honoka and Kotori both bowed, "Miss Sonoda..."

"Both of you are making a scene, something that is unacceptable here at Promise Publications. If you have a disagreement, you should handle it in private, not in front of others."

"Yes, Miss Sonoda..."

The stern woman turned around and walked away, her heels clacking against the floor. Nico had never met the woman, Miss Sonoda, before, but she remembered her name. She was a CEO, a door on the 13th floor bearing her name.

"Hey, Nozomi, that was one of the CEOs, right?" Nico whispered. The crowd was dispersing now, Honoka and Kotori still slightly bent over.

"Yeah, Umi Sonoda. She comes from a very traditional family, which is why she talks in such a formal way. Kosaka and Minami started arguing after she visited a shoot of theirs."

"Wait, do the CEOs pit models against each other?"

"That's not something to discuss here, Nicocchi. You should get on your way, I have a shoot with Koizumi."

Nico did as she was told, continuing on her way to set E-4. Thankfully, it was on the first floor, allowing her to get there quicker. When she arrived, the set was still being arranged, but appeared to be a stone path, a green screen behind it, and the assitants were installing fake trees.

"Hi! You must be Nico!" Nico almost screamed, jumping and turning around.

"H-Hoshizora?"

"Mhm! But call me Rin!" Rin held her hand out, Nico shaking it. Rin seemed quite energetic, and much less professional than Nico thought on her first day.

"Do you know what we'll be doing?" Nico asked.

"I think it's just a random set of designs that came in, but since Setsubun is around the corner, they're making it about that. We get to throw beans at each other! It'll be so fun!"

Once the assistants finished putting the trees in place, one of them hurried over with two bags of clothes, handing one to each of the girls. Nico paused for a moment upon opening the bag.

It was the dress Eli had her try on.

She shook her head and quickly put on the clothing, thanking the gods that she happened to put on the same set of black underwear as the week previous. She straightened the dress out and glanced over at Rin. The energetic young woman had on a light blue pencil skirt, a blue gingam dress shirt, a beige cable-knit vest, and thigh highs that were a subdued purple in color.

They both went over to the set after being told their hair and makeup was fine, and had demon masks put on their heads. Rin was handed a small bag of roasted beans and they walked onto the set.

"You trust me, right, Nico?"

"Sure, why?"

Rin threw a bunch of beans at Nico, giggling. Rin seemed naturally charming and playful, causing the photographers to instantly fall in love with her. Nico tried her best to shield herself from the beans. After a bit, they switched, with Nico throwing beans at Rin. Nico couldn't help but smile and laugh, the photographers taking several shots of Nico giggling. Finally, they both sat down, eating beans together, smiles wide. Once again, the cameras went wild for their smiles.

They both changed quickly and stretched. Nico noticed a deliveryman coming in, bringing in quite a few boxes, but she assumed they were for the next shoot.

"I hope we can work together again sometime, Rin."

"Me too! I'm super excited! Let's hope it's another fun shoot, like today's!"

The deliveryman came up to them, "Delivery for, uh… Hoshizora?"

"That's meeee!" Rin pumped her fist in the air.

"And, uh, Yazawa?"

"That's me, Nico Yazawa."

Rin got a whole stack of boxes, the girl jumping up and down in joy. While Nico didn't get quite so many, she did get quite a few. Thankfully, they were enough to carry. A yellow envelope rested on top, addressed to Nico in beautiful cursive, but Nico decided all of it could wait until she got home.

 _At least I was only assigned one shoot today, I won't have to lug all of these packages around._

Nico picked them all up, leaving Rin to fawn over her own presents.

"Nicocchi! Nicooooccchiiiiii!" Nozomi ran through the hall towards Nico, causing the shorter girl to almost drop all of her packages.

"Nozomi!"

"Nico, why are you lugging all of these boxes around?"

"They came at the end of my last shoot, I don't know what they are yet..."

"There's no way you'll get home with all of this on the train, you know."

"I don't exactly have a car, Nozomi."

Nozomi waved Nico off, "I'll drive you home then. Anyway, did you see?"

"See what?"

"Promise Magazine!"

Nozomi shoved the magazine in Nico's face. Nico set all of the packages down, opening the magazine up. On one of the first few pages was a picture of three women. Nico was about to ask if they were supermodels or something, but then she realized who the women were.

Eli Ayase, Umi Sonoda, and Nishikino.

Nico hadn't met the woman named Nishikino yet, though she felt like she knew her name, but the three looked amazing. They were against a light gray background, all wearing the same sparkly black evening dress, slits up both sides, and sat with their right legs crossed over their left legs. Eli was in the middle, wearing light blue high heels, her hair tied up in a ponytail. Umi was to the left, in profile view, with dark blue high heels, her hair strewn across her shoulders. Nishikino was to the right, also in profile view, with red high heels, her red hair parted in the back and brought to the front, amethyst eyes staring into the distance.

"Beautiful… Were they all once models?" Nico asked.

"No one knows," Nozomi responded, "look through the actual magazine, Nico!"

"Oh, right." Nico started flipping through the pages.

The Kurobane sisters were featured first, in a cathedral setting, modeling the latest lolita fashion, frilly umbrellas in hand. Rin and Hanayo's train shot was also featured, the one where Rin lost her hat and cherry blossom petals went flying everywhere. Jennifer and Reine Seiki were also featured, wearing mint and brown dresses. An Indian model, Rakshata, was featured in traditional wedding clothing from her country. Then Nico's eyes settled on _the_ page. It featured the shot of her and Nozomi wearing just panties and socks, the one that the photographers were so specific about.

"We're in… Promise Magazine."

"We're in Promise Magazine!" Nozomi squealed. The two girls hugged each other and jumped around, giggling and cheering.

"Anyway," Nozomi started, "are you finished for the day? I can take you home."

"Yeah, thanks, Nozomi."

They both headed out to Nozomi's car; a pitch black Prius. Nico headed to the trunk, but Nozomi told her to just put her boxes in the back seat and sit in the front. Nozomi's car smelled like lilac and lavender.

"Hey, Nozomi, how do you know so much about the CEOs?"

"I've been here for a year and a half, you pick up stuff as you go along."

"You just seemed to know a lot about Miss Sonoda..."

"Everyone knows certain things about each of the CEOs, but not everything. The gaps are filled in with speculation and gossip."

"Hmm… who is the red headed one?"

"That's Maki Nishikino, the only daughter of a famous doctor and his wife, who's a nurse. She's got a lot of money, owning part of Promise and being the heir to several hospitals. They say she constantly donates money to medical research and stuff, but no one knows for sure."

"What about Miss Ayase? Or Miss Sonoda?"

"Ayase is part Japanese and part Russian. She's the oldest, apparently, and people say she has connections to the Russian Mafia. I… admittedly don't know a lot about Sonoda, she's a private person. Kosaka and Minami though… they're certainly big fans of her."

"Do the CEOs ever play favorites?"

Nozomi quickly braked, the light suddenly turning red, "Why do you ask?"

Nico looked down, playing with her fingers, "It's nothing, forget about it."

Silence followed. Nozomi didn't press any further, just continued to drive Nico home. Once they reached Nico's apartment, Nico thanked Nozomi, grabbed her packages, and headed inside. Too nervous to open the packages, she took a shower.

Nico felt her mind clearing as the water cascaded down her petite, naked body. It slightly reminded her of the lingerie photoshoot with Nozomi, but she shook her head and washed the shampoo out of her black hair, relaxing when the water gently hit her head.

Once dried off and in her pink nightgown, Nico headed back out to her living room, sitting down with a knife to open the packages. The first box was medium sized and relatively flat, something wrapped in tissue paper inside. Nico unwrapped it and held it up; it was a designer jacket from a collection called Sweet Devils, the jacket mostly dark blue-violet with part of the sleeves, the lining, logo, and stuffed devil horns at the top in pink, the zipper silvery with a heart, and black devil wings attached to the back. The jacket probably cost $2,000, if not more. Nico carefully set it down, grabbing the next box, which was fairly small. Inside was a pair of bracelets made of garnets and rose quartz gemstones, which Nico didn't even want to think about the cost of. The third box looked fairly large, containing three sets of lingerie carefully wrapped in tissue paper. Two sets were the first two sets of lingerie Nico wore in her photoshoot with Nozomi, even the socks were included. The third was a very expensive set of black lingerie, the fabric a soft silk with small black lace frills, and incredibly well made. Nico quickly put them back into the box, grabbing for the last box, which was a similar shape and size to the first. The contents were dropped when Nico saw them.

It was the dress Eli had her try on.

It was partially the dress and partially the price tag that made Nico drop it. The dress was priced at $5,500, making Nico want to throw up. She quickly tore into the yellow envelope, revealing Promise Magazine. Nico looked at the floor, noticing a letter that had dropped down at some point. She opened it, carefully reading the print.

Nico Yazawa,

Congratulations on earning a spot in Promise Magazine along side Miss Tojo, it is rare for such a new model to accomplish something such as this. We thought you deserved some gifts for your accomplishment, and spared no expense. Those at Promise often receive gifts for their outstanding work, so this is just a small gift to you.

Your work on the lingerie shoot with Miss Tojo was beautiful, so please accept a few pieces of what you wore that day, as well as a dress we thought would fit you well.

Signed,

Eli Ayase, Umi Sonoda, and Maki Nishikino, CEOs of Promise Publications.

Nico noticed a handwritten message at the bottom, in the same beautiful cursive that signed her name on the envelope.

Nico,

You deserve better lingerie than what you wore that day.

Eli Ayase

* * *

I wanted to add a disclaimer that I know very little about the modeling world, aside from what I've seen in movies. I even had to look up how much models make to know if Nozomi would be able to own a car or not. Which, honestly, she kinda doesn't. Someone may have helped her in that department. It's also not very likely that a company would have three CEOs, but let's pretend it works.

None of the girls have the same age gaps as they do in the actual Love Live! universe. This is an AU, quite clearly. Nico is about 22, Nozomi is about 23, Honoka and Kotori are about 24, Rin and Hanayo are probably around 21, Eli is about 29, Umi and Maki 28. The N girls from School Idol Festival (Kurobane sisters, Jennifer, Chiduko, Yuri, Coco, Reine) are various ages. Everyone is legal by American standards.

Some outfits that are mentioned, such as the ones in the Setsubun shoot, are actual cards in SIF. The photoshoots will often take inspiration from SIF.

If you have a request for a photoshoot that you'd like to see that DOES NOT involve the SolGe trio, leave it in a review, if you'd like.

Thank you for reading Promise.


	4. The Third CEO

Beep! Beep! Beep!

Nico slapped her phone several times, her touch not registering on the screen, the alarm continuing to ring. Finally getting up, she went to her apartment's kitchen, glancing at the packages for a moment. She hated looking at them, they were worth over $10,000, and she didn't understand how the demented trio didn't spend their money on something better, like charity.

" _They say she constantly donates money to medical research and stuff, but no one knows for sure."_ Nozomi's words bounced around in Nico's head. Okay, maybe they weren't demented, but it certainly seemed strange that they just gave Nico such expensive presents.

Nico ate some cereal for breakfast, unable to get most of it down as she stared at the four boxes. She got up to get dressed for work, looking back at the boxes.

"Surely it wouldn't hurt to indulge in it a little, right?" she mumbled, grabbing the black set of lingerie. It fit like a glove, contrasting beautifully with Nico's pale skin. She slipped on a simple pink dress and ballet flats, humming to herself.

It wasn't too long before honking interrupted her humming. Nico ran outside, greeted by more honking of a black Prius. Nozomi rolled her window down, tipping her shades.

"Come on, Nicocchi! You're riding with me from now on!"

Nico huffed and ran back inside, grabbing her purse and phone before getting in Nozomi's car. Nozomi changed gears, hitting the accelerator hard, speeding off as Nico squealed.

"You weren't this reckless yesterday! And you could've woken up my neighbors, I live in an apartment complex, you know!"

"We have to get there quickly, we've been assigned an early shoot with Koizumi. You need to get a car and an actual place to live, Nico."

"I haven't even gotten a chance to read my email yet… I don't have the money for either of those things, I haven't even received my first paycheck! How do you afford all of this, Nozomi?"

"I don't talk money with friends, Nico. I've got a car and a place to live, that's all."

"A nice car and probably a nice place to live."

Nozomi hit the brakes, "Get over it, Nico. This is a much better life than what I used to live in college, _a lot_ nicer."

"Why do you call me by my first name and everyone else by their last name?"

"My first week at Promise was a disaster, that's why. There were two girls named Yuki back then, neither of them work there now. They had two different last names. I was told to work with one Yuki, but ended up late for my shoot because I found the wrong Yuki. That's why Hoshizora is Hoshizora, Kosaka is Kosaka."

"What if it's a situation like the Kurobane sisters though?"

"..." Nozomi didn't speak, she just parked, a dark look on her face. Nico didn't press the question further, the trust between them clearly not strong enough yet. They both got out, heading through the glass doors into Promise, then walked on and into set L-1, which, to Nico, looked pretty much the same as set L-2.

Hanayo was already there, in the middle of a solo shoot. She had a white lace headband and a blue t-shirt nightgown on, positioned in a blatantly sexual position. Her butt was in the air, her arms bent so she looked innocent, showing off a white pair of floral print panties. Nico had seen Hanayo's past lingerie shoots, one specific image of the innocent girl stuck in her mind. She was wearing a loose fitting black tank top, sitting on her knees, bent forward slightly, resting her elbows on something white, fingers intertwined. What stuck about the image was that Hanayo's breasts were almost completely exposed by the loose tank top.

"Uhh… Nozomi, what are we doing today?"

"Oh, right, you didn't check your email. A swimsuit shoot outside, I just thought we'd come get Hanayo before we went. Sometimes she can get absorbed in watching idol videos on her phone."

"Promise has sets outside?"

"Not exactly sets," Hanayo said, finally done with her shoot, "but an enclosed area for specific shoots. It's nice to meet you, my name is Hanayo, you must be Nico." Hanayo spoke in a soft tone, appearing very shy, something that astonished Nico.

"Nice to meet you too..."

The three headed to the outside set, which Nico hadn't ever seen before. She was surprised by how spacious it was, the area enclosed by glass. The was a swimming pool off to the side, the water a beautiful blue, and a forest area, a small changing area near the swimming pool. Nico looked up, amazed at how tall Promise Publications was, looking much taller than 13 floors.

They were each given a single bag and told that they would just be modeling one set of swimwear today. They each changed quickly, then headed to hair and makeup, which took a very long time.

First up was Nico, who was wearing a pink two piece with a rose pattern, the top with a sheer white ruffled layer and a white ribbon in the center, adorned with a pair of pink roses, the bottom a skirt on top of a bikini bottom, the same sheer white fabric ruffled underneath the skirt. She was given a garter with the same pink and rose patterned fabric, white ruffles on the edges, gold bangles, a blue scrunchy, a cute charm bracelet, and dangly triangle earrings, brown ribbon tied around her right leg and a pink ribbon tied in a bow around her left ankle. They did her hair up in twin buns, putting flowers on the left side of her hair, and took off all of her makeup, replacing it with waterproof makeup.

Nozomi was next, wearing a purple swimsuit similar to Nico's, with the fabric covered in a pattern of hydrangeas and other blotches of pink and purple. Her earrings were the same as Nico's, receiving pastel colored bangles and brown ribbon tied around her right wrist and left leg, two boho rings on her right index and middle fingers. Her purple hair was brushed out and put into a long braid, a brown headband and several flowers put into her hair, receiving the same makeup as Nico.

Hanayo was last, her swimsuit vastly different from the other two. Her top was white with gold buttons and light blue ruffles at the bottom, blue gingam ruffles creating an off shoulder part at the top with puffy, sheer white sleeves coming out of it and a medium blue bow at the left strap of the top. The bottom was two layers of blue gingam ruffles under a sheer white set of ruffles. White ribbon was tied around her her right leg, a white and gold bead bracelet on her left wrist, a floral patterned, light blue scrunchy bracelet and a yellow flower ring on her right hand, orange slice earrings, and an adorable yellow-blue with white polka dot headband on her head. Her hair was left alone and her makeup redone.

Nico actually liked what she was wearing today, making her excited and energetic. She ran over to the pool, gazing into the cerulean water. Hanayo and Nozomi caught up quickly, smiling at Nico's energy.

"Okay, girls. We need some shots of the swimsuits intact, no water, then you three can splash around for a bit, okay?" one of the photographers explained. The three nodded.

First, they stood at the edge of the pool, Nozomi and Hanayo at Nico's sides, smiles all around. Nico could feel her fellow models' chests against her arms as they posed, which made her think it would be a good contrast to have her small chest there. Several photos were taken of the three with their feet dipped in the pool, ending the dry group shots. Nozomi layed on her side at the edge of the pool, Nico had photos taken of her sitting at the ladder, and Hanayo had pictures taken with a beach ball.

"Okay, time to splash around, ladies. Just don't get your hair too wet."

"Yay!" the three cheered.

Nozomi immediately splashed water at Hanayo, who tried to guard her face and hair as she giggled, then at Nico, who playfully ran away, saluting Nozomi. Grabbing an blue innertube, Nozomi waded into the water, smiling and bringing her braid to the front as the cameras snapped, Hanayo getting into the water with her, shots being taken of them together. Nico got in, swimming to the edge, an assistant giving her an orange drink for her to pose with, and gestured Hanayo over. They both smiled, posing with orange drinks. The three splashed and swam around for a little longer before getting out of the pool to dry off. Nico was the last to get out, the photographers calling her attention. She looked behind her and smiled, several pictures being taken.

The three dried off and changed, heading back inside. Nico was about to ask Nozomi something when the purple-haired girl stopped and checked her phone, then turned to Nico and Hanayo.

"I've gotta go do something, so I'll talk to you later. Come to my car when you're done with today's shoots, Nico, okay?"

"Oh, sure."

Hanayo giggled, "This means you can spend some time with me! Let's go, there's something I want you to see!" Hanayo grabbed Nico's wrist and started running down the hallway. When they got to the foyer, which was lined by glass, the shy girl suddenly stopped, Nico almost smashing her face against the glass.

"H-Hey! I get paid by this face, you know!"

"Look! It's A-Rise!" Hanayo squealed.

Nico looked out, seeing a limo stopped in front of a huge, parted crowd. Three women got out, known as A-Rise. Nico had been a huge fan of them ever since they started, all the way back in high school, wishing for years to go to UTX. Unfortunately, her dreams never came true. Nico watched as Tsubasa Kira, Anju Yuki, and, her favorite, Erena Todo got out of the limo, flaunting themselves in front of their fans.

"W-Why are they here?" Nico asked.

"They released a new album recently, and an idol magazine was asked to do the article. An idol magazine published by Promise. They're here for a photoshoot."

"And they're all stubborn, greedy bitches," a voice behind them said. Nico and Hanayo turned around, about to protest, but kept their mouths shut when they realized the voice came from the CEO Nico hadn't met: Maki Nishikino.

Maki continued, "The three made us agree to a hell of a lot of conditions in order to come here, from specific photographers to tea imported from Britain. Hmph, most stars would've agreed easily, but this agreement took weeks. Stay away from them, we had to agree to that, too." With that, the redhead turned and walked off, playing with her hair.

The three singers strut through the glass doors, security guards keeping their fans several feet away as they walked to a set on the first floor. Nico and Hanayo looked at each other, then smiled, following the trio and their groupies.

Half an hour later, the pair were practically climbing over each other to watch the singers' shoot through a crack in the door, straining their eyes to see. They had to hide, at first, as the singers were greeted by Maki, but once the rich woman left, they crawled over to the door to watch the shoot. They both considered the door as front row as they could get.

Nico heard her phone buzz within her purse, grabbing it to glance at the screen.

Miss Yazawa,

Please report to Miss Ayase's office on the 13th floor to discuss your recent shoots.

Promise Publications

"Damn… I gotta go, Hanayo, will you tell me how it finishes?"

"Totally! Bye, Nico."

"Bye, Hanayo."

Nico ran over to the elevator as quickly as she could, slapping the button for the 13th floor. She was still scared of all three of the CEOs, each seeming to have her own form of fear induction. Nervously, she opened the door labeled AYASE, stepping into the room carefully.

Eli sat in the same chair as before, sipping a cup of tea. She gestured to the sofa opposite of her, Nico quickly walking over, her stomach flipping and churning.

"I've only got a little bit before I have to join Umi and Maki in the meeting for A-Rise, so let's make this quick," Eli said, setting down her teacup. There was a very small lipstick stain on the cup.

"A-Are you firing me?" Nico asked. Eli burst into musical laughter.

"Oh my, Miss Yazawa, you have quite the humor. Your recent shoots have been quite… interesting. You have a natural charm in that smile of yours, you know. Now, I haven't seen the results of your swimsuit shoot with Miss Tojo and Miss Koizumi yet, but I'm sure they'll be outstanding. You were put into Promise Magazine at the last minute, you know, right after we received the shots from the Angel and Devil lingerie shoot," Eli cleared her throat, "As far as what I asked you to come here for… Currently, we're arranging next month's schedule. Of course, it can change at the last minute, but we try to make a rough outline for it. Could you take your clothes off for me?"

Nico was about to agree, but then she actually processed the request, "Excuse me?"

"Could you take your clothes off?"

Nico almost asked why, but stayed silent in fear of being fired. Instead, she stood up and slipped her ballet flats off, grabbing the front edge of her dress and pulling it off, laying it on the couch. She stood there, in the new black lingerie she received, lingerie too expensive to be called underwear.

Eli smiled, "So you do like my gift."

The blonde woman stood up and walked over to Nico, circling around the raven haired woman. She tugged at Nico's bra straps and the sides of her underwear, making sure everything fit, before stepping back.

"Okay, now finish taking your clothes off."

"What?! That's illegal!"

Eli cupped Nico's cheek, their faces close, "Not if you want to keep your job."

Nico felt shivers go down her spine, reaching behind her and unhooking her bra, letting it slide down her arms. She pulled her panties down, letting them fall to the floor. She stood there naked, resisting the urge to cover herself up. Nico felt her nipples grow hard from the cold, but tried to keep a stone face, like Nozomi. Eli circled around, mumbling a checklist to herself.

The blonde woman slid her hands up and down Nico's sides, "Slender waist, smooth transition into the hips..."

She pushed on Nico's stomach and back, forcing her into a perfect posture, "Flat stomach, good curve to the back..."

She pushed Nico's shoulders down gently, running her hands down one of Nico's arms, "Pale skin, slender hands, softly rounded shoulders..."

She crouched down, squeezing Nico's thighs, "Good couple of inches between the thighs, smooth skin..."

She stood back up, pulling the ribbons out of Nico's black hair, feeling the strands, "Healthy sheen, soft hair, appropriate length..."

She came around to the front of Nico, squeezing her small breasts, running her index fingers over Nico's nipples, "Petite bust, fitting for the frame..."

She walked to the back of Nico, grabbing and squeezing Nico's butt, "Firm yet soft butt..."

Eli grabbed Nico's face, squishing her cheeks and looking directly into Nico's red eyes, "Soft cheeks, beautiful eyes, piercing gaze..."

Walking back to her chair, Eli sat down, crossing her legs again, "I must say, Miss Yazawa, you were certainly born for modeling. You'd look good in anything, given it's the right size, and you do have that natural charm of yours. I think we should be able to try you out for a main shoot, like the one between Miss Hoshizora and Miss Koizumi put into the latest issue of Promise Magazine."

"Thank you for the opportunity, Miss Ayase." Nico tried to keep her voice from shaking.

Eli looked at her watch, "I must get to a meeting. Thank you for your time, Miss Yazawa." With that, she left, closing the door behind her. Nico felt tears fall down her cheeks.

Later, saying absolutely nothing, she got into Nozomi's Prius, where Nozomi sat reading a book.

"Eh? Nicocchi, is something wrong?"

"Everything is fine."

Nozomi scanned Nico's face. She knew what was wrong, exactly what was wrong. The time hadn't come yet though, so she simply started the car and pulled out, heading to Nico's apartment. The trip was silent, Nozomi hitting nothing but green lights.

When they finally arrived, Nozomi looked over to Nico, who hadn't moved, "Nico, how about you come over to my house sometime?"

"What for?"

"For drinks and a movie, like we did here the other day."

"That sounds… nice, actually. Thanks, Nozomi."

They sat in silence for a few more minutes, Nico about to get out when Nozomi spoke again, "How about we exchange numbers? We're friends, after all."

The two traded phones, entering their contact information in before giving them back. Nico grabbed her purse and headed to her apartment, Nozomi watching until the petite girl closed the door, then drove off.

* * *

Did you know? Riho Iida (Rin) and Yurika Kubo (Hanayo) have both been lingerie and swimsuit models. I actually referenced two of Yurika Kubo's actual lingerie photos in this chapter.

Also, I don't condone being _that_ kind of boss. In fact, I'd be horrified.

Requests for photoshoots welcome.

Thank you for reading Promise!


	5. Coffee and Tylenol

Nico sat up in her bed, her head pounding. It took her a few minutes to gather up the courage to stand up and walk out of her bedroom, almost tripping over her own feet. Going out to her small living room, she sat down on her coffee table, staring at the mess on her sofa.

Last night, Nico texted Nozomi, asking if they could hang out. Twenty minutes later, Nozomi pulls up, a bottle of vodka in hand. They sat around watching a movie for awhile, until Nozomi got drunk and Nico a little less drunk. Now, Nozomi was sleeping on Nico's sofa, drooling all over it, reeking of alcohol. Nico stared at the passed out woman, thinking of last night.

"Niiiiccooooooooo..." Nozomi said, completely drunk.

"What, Nozomi? Hey, get off!" Nico practically started a cat fight.

"You… asked earlierrrr… about situationsss wiiitthhh… um… oh! Yeah! Same, um, last names!"

"Ehh? I suppose I did..."

"Well," Nozomi flopped onto her back, head in Nico's lap, "once upon a tiimmmeee… I had a shooot with… uh… one of the Kosakasss. There used to be twoooo, you know that?"

"No."

Nozomi laughed, "There was! Eheeeheeeee… There was Hooonoookaaaaaaa aaannddd… Yuu… Yuki… Yukiho? I had a shoot with Yukihoooo… buttttt… uh…"

"But what?"

Nozomi sloshed the vodka around in the bottle for a bit, "I accidentallyyy went to the shoot with the older onnnneee..."

"Honoka?"

"Yeah! Thaat one… I was supercali… uh… delicious? Laaate to my shoot with Kosaka and got called into Eli's officccceee..."

Though Nico was inebriated, she was alarmed at how Nozomi addressed Eli so casually.

"Uhhh… I explained to herrrr… that… I got confused, 'cause they only sent yoouuuuu a letterrrr back theeennnn… witttthhhh… your shoootss for the moonnnthhh... But she was suuuppperrr nice! That's whyyy they eeeeeeeemail your shoots for the dayyyy now… 'cause I fucked up..."

"You weren't fired?" Nico was impressed with herself for understanding Nozomi's slurred speech.

"Alllmooosssttt… 'cause that wassss the… second? Time I was late for a shoooot in a weeeek!"

"Why weren't you fired?"

"Eeehhhhh… Elicchi told me I would be fiiinnnee on oonnnee condition… that I dooo sexual favooorrrs for her..."

"What?! Nozomi? Tell me what she said!" Nico was too late, Nozomi had passed out, the bottle of vodka still in her sweaty palm.

"Wahh!" Nozomi jolted awake, sitting straight up, hair falling forward.

"Eeeek!" Nico fell backwards on the coffee table.

"Nico? Oh god, I passed out, didn't I? I'm so sorry..."

"It's fine, you reek of vodka though..."

"Can I take a shower with you?"

"With me?"

"Yeah, it's almost time for work."

Nico's eyes widened, finally realizing how long she'd been staring at Nozomi passed out on the couch. She ran to the shower, quickly turning it on while Nozomi caught up to her, the pair quickly shedding all of their clothes off and hopping in, rushing to rub the smell of alcohol out of their skin and wake themselves up from their hangovers. In less than 10 minutes, they were completely showered and dried off, blow drying their hair quickly. Nico got dressed in a panicked state, Nozomi packing their stuff up in her lingerie. She tossed her car keys at Nico.

"Go get me my clothes out of the trunk, I always keep spares. Do you mind?"

"You owe me coffee for this. Pack some Tylenol, too."

Nico ran out to the shiny car, clicking the little remote to pop open the trunk. True to her word, Nozomi had a battered shopping bag with a spare set of clothes. Other than an emergency kit and a set up jumper cables, the trunk was bare.

Once back inside, Nico watched as Nozomi scrambled to get dressed. They grabbed their bags and hurried to the car, throwing the bags in the backseat and sliding into the front. Nozomi shoved the keys in, bringing the engine to life.

"McDs or StarBs?" Nozomi asked, putting on her sunglasses and shifting gears.

"Excuse me, StarBs is bitter."

"Crappy McDs coffee it is then."

Nozomi sped off, pulling into McDs and ordering two coffees, not having time to order her or Nico any food, figuring they didn't have any time to eat it anyway. Once they got their hot coffees and blasted the heat against the dropping temperatures, Nico pulled out the Tylenol, popping two in her mouth and two into Nozomi's, the pair downing a ton of coffee afterwards.

While Nozomi was busy with her crappy driving, Nico checked her email, trying to focus on the words through the road bumps and a headache.

Miss Yazawa,

You have been assigned to an advertisement shoot.

Please report to set 10-A.

Promise Publications

"Hey, Nozomi, what were you assigned today?"

"A bunch of girls were assigned to a sportswear shoot, fancy sportswear, as if rich women need fancy sportswear. 10-A."

"Same. Why are we assigned together so much?"

"They must think we have a good energy together," Nozomi glanced at Nico briefly, "Did you spend your first check on that jacket? It costs, like, $2,000."

Nico played with the silver heart on the zipper of her Sweet Devils jacket, "Y-Yeah..."

"Yet you complain about not having a car." Nico slapped Nozomi's arm, the older girl giggling.

The pair were suddenly jolted forward, Nozomi parking roughly. They got out of the car quickly, almost forgetting to grab their stuff as they ran inside. They got in the elevator, Nozomi repeatedly smashing her fingers into the button marked 10, Nico practically punching the button to close the doors. Finally, the slow elevator started closing its doors, only to have a blue alligator skin bag jammed in between the doors.

Umi Sonoda walked into the elevator, quickly turning around. She seemed as fashionable as the first time Nico saw her, wearing a beige beret, blue sunglasses, the same beige trench coat as before, a dark blue button-up shirt, black, high waisted pants, blue suede ankle boots, and, of course, a blue alligator skin bag.

It finally occurred to Nico that she couldn't remember what the other two CEOs had ever worn, her interaction with Maki minimal, and her levels of fear too high with Eli to notice.

Nico cleared her throat, "Um… which floor?" Nozomi jabbed her hard.

"Thirteen." Nozomi pressed the button for thirteen, and Nico patiently waited for the doors to shut.

The ride up to floor 10 felt like it took an eternity, the silence and feeling of inferiority unbearable to Nozomi and Nico. Finally, the elevator stopped with a soft bump, the doors opening slowly. The two models stepped out quietly, turning around and bowing towards Umi, who acted as if they didn't even exist. The door closed a few moments later, Umi smirking when she knew the pair couldn't see her.

"Mm… So that's what Eli was talking about..."

With the elevator situation literally behind them, Nozomi and Nico started running again, their feet crashing against the marble floors. Bursting through the doors of set 10-A, they grabbed the bags out of Rin's hands, whizzing past her and stripping. Throwing their clothes onto a chair, they rushed to put their clothes on.

Both of them ended up in navy shorts with a light blue star pattern and a sports jacket. Nozomi's sports jacket was a dark purple with cream as an accent color, black pinstripe thigh highs and purple Converses completing the outfit. Nico's jacket was a bit more complex, bubblegum pink being the main color, navy the secondary color for the top of the jacket and the sleeves, white as her accent color. Paired with pink Converses and white socks with two black stripes at the top, her outfit was completed. With no time for hair and makeup, the hairdressers just handed them scrunchies to match their hair.

"Okay, girls," they all gathered around the main photographer, "today we're doing an advertisement for the clothes you're wearing, aimed towards young, female athletes. We're also marketing several styles of a water bottle-"

"And you each get one to take home," everyone turned their heads. Maki had walked in unannounced, silent as a mouse. She was wearing her red hair up in a pristine bun, diamond earrings in her ears. Standing perfectly straight, she wore a tight red dress under a black blazer, black boots increasing her height slightly. Behind her, two men brought in boxes of water bottles, bringing in nine styles in total.

"W-We get to pick, Miss Nishikino?" Hanayo asked. Maki smiled, then nodded once before walking off the set.

"Okay! Now that all of you are here, let's start!"

Nico finally got a good look at what the others were wearing, all of it pretty similar. Rin's sport jacket was cerulean blue with bright orange as an accent color, the same orange on a pair of shorts that were slightly different from Nico and Nozomi's, and socks. A similar orange was the main color on Honoka's jacket, navy blue the accent color and the color of her shorts, as well as a pair of socks that were nearly the length of Nico's socks. Kotori and Hanayo had a very similar style of jacket that Nico did; Kotori's main color light pink, secondary color light lavender, accent color white, and Hanayo's main and accent color chartreuse and secondary color white. While Hanayo had the same shorts as Honoka, Kotori wore a pastel blue pleated skirt, looking strange against the others.

It was too cold out to do a shoot outside, the team had assembled a set that looked like a tree-filled path, though it was a pretty big set, one you could probably run around in. That's where Nico got her idea.

"Kotori!"

"Huh?"

"Tag!" Nico hit Kotori's shoulder and ran on set, flashing one of her adorable smiles to the camera as Kotori chased after her, the cameras taking several shots of them running. Kotori must've grabbed a whistle from someone, blowing into it to make a shrill sound, the cameras once again having a favorable reception. Finally catching up to Nico because of the sound, Kotori embraced Nico, the two being tossed water bottles that matched their outfits. They posed with the water bottles, tired but cute expressions on their faces, the sweat beading on their foreheads making the pictures look genuine.

Hanayo ran over to them, noticing the cameras focusing on her. She became conscious of the shorts bunching up around her inner thighs, turning to the camera and pulling her jacket down. Nico and Kotori wiggled out of the shot, allowing the snapping to ensue.

"Perfect!"

"Adorable!"

Honoka ran up onto the set to hug Hanayo, Nico running away as she saw the future, Honoka tripping over her shoelaces and knocking Hanayo to the ground. The two landed near Kotori, surprising the ashen-haired girl. Hanayo flashed a nervous smile, Honoka rubbing her knee, Kotori still not over her surprise when the camera started taking a plethora of pictures.

Nozomi got up onto the set, helping all three of the girls up and off the set. It was quite obvious that her thigh highs weren't the exact size she needed, the left one falling down to her knee. It was when a picture was taken that she noticed, and pulled it up, looking at the camera with a ditzy expression, like she never would've noticed without the attention.

One of the photographers looked at a piece of paper, "Uh… Okay, Kosaka, Hoshizora, you're up!"

Honoka bounced back onto the stage, completely recovered from her earlier incident. Rin got up on the stage slower, and had been quiet for the entire shoot.

"You two are supposed to look like you just got done with a run, and show off the water bottles," a photographer said, then looked to an assistant, "get a bottle for Miss Hoshizora, please."

"Yes, sir."

Once Rin was given a water bottle, she sat down near one of the trees, already looking tired. She tried to take a sip from the bottle as Honoka leaned over, gently rubbing her knee again.

"Ehhh? No water?"

"Sorry, Miss Hoshizora, you don't get to keep them until after the shoot."

"Oh, okay..."

"Let's start!"

Honoka and Rin were both caught at awkward times, Rin gasping a little, Honoka in the middle of rubbing her knee. They both tried their best to smile while looking genuinely tired, accomplishing their task as the leaned against trees. The shoot was over quickly, allowing the six of them to change and pack up their chosen waterbottles.

They'd all changed, Nozomi and Nico chattering, Rin and Hanayo doing the same.

"Of course, you just had to trip, didn't you, Honoka?"

"Why are you complaining? I didn't fall on you on purpose, Kotori!"

"Even after two years, you're still such an amateur. I don't know why they keep you here, you're always a walking disaster!"

"Says the drama queen with a bad relationship with her mom. Who wouldn't disown you after the thing you did?"

"Mom didn't disown me! Don't you ever bring her or that up, ever! It's not like you witnessed it first hand."

"Why? It's the truth, you're a-"

"R-Rin? Rin? Are you okay? Rin!"

Everyone's attention was caught by Hanayo's worried cries, Rin collapsing to the floor. Everyone gathered around her, trying to wake her up and make sure she was okay.

The three CEOs stood outside, watching as Rin was loaded into an ambulance. Many of the models who had finished their shoots were looking through the foyer's glass, Nozomi, Nico, Kotori, and Honoka included. Hanayo jumped into the ambulance with Rin, holding the orange haired girl's hand as the paramedics closed the doors and drove off.

The three walked back inside, many pairs of eyes confronting them. The three ignored the crowd, completely silent as they walked to the elevator in perfect sync.

* * *

Those water bottles all say HYDRATION on them.

I won't be around tomorrow, so have fun with that cliffhanger.

Have a suggestion for a photoshoot? Leave it in the reviews! The help is incredibly appreciated. Please note, they don't have to be just SIF cards, they can be anything.

Thank you for reading Promise!

* * *

Edit: My apologies for typos here and there. I do my best to write accurately, as well as proofread. However, my mind sometimes goes a million miles a minute, causing me to not catch things.


	6. Snow Storm

Cameras flashed, cameras rolled, cameras recorded every word.

"Though it has been hypothesized so far, Miss Hoshizora has not yet received a diagnosis at this moment in time. She has our best wishes for a full recovery," Maki stated, amethyst eyes staring straight into the cameras.

The three CEOs sat at a long desk together, answering the questions of the press to the best of their abilities. Newscasters filmed the conference, journalists took pictures and notes, recording the trio's voices.

Nico and Nozomi were sitting on Hanayo's couch, watching the press conference while Hanayo fixed hot cocoa for them all. They had invited Honoka and Kotori, but they refused to be in the same room with each other. It hadn't even been 24 hours since Rin collapsed, but the press caught wind of it quickly, the CEOs sending an email out.

Employees of Promise Publications,

In light of recent events, operations are being shut down for the next 48 hours.

Please watch for additional information and report to your assigned destinations once the 48 hour period is over.

Promise Publications

"Here you guys go," Hanayo said, handing the two hot cocoa, then sat on the sofa next to Nico.

Nico was shocked when she first arrived at Hanayo's house, the walls covered in idol merchandise. From posters of A-Rise and Saint Snow to shelves lined with various albums and CDs, even the famous Legendary Legend of Idols DVD set. Nico tried to become an idol in high school, but was unsuccessful, all of the people in her Idol Club leaving within a year.

"Oh, Hanayo, is that-"

"Yes, yes it is, Nico. That's the signature of the Legendary Minalinsky. I bought it off the Internet, so I've never met her, but it's amazing to have it."

"Guys guys," Nozomi grabbed their attention, pulling it to the TV again.

"Miss Ayase, will Miss Hoshizora come back to a job?"

"Of course. So far, it has been hypothesized that she overworked herself, which shows work ethic to us. Though unhealthy work ethic, she is very committed to her job, and we would be happy to welcome her with open arms once she recovers."

Nico stared at Eli's digital image. The woman was wearing a light blue sweater and charcoal bootcut pants, simple compared to Umi or Maki, her hair up in the usual blonde ponytail. Maki had her hair down, wearing a black choker, a red bolero jacket, an a black skater dress. Umi sat there stone-faced, wearing a cobalt blue pantsuit with a silvery belt, a charm necklace around her neck.

When Nico saw the three, she just… felt angry. She didn't understand what their individual roles were yet, she just felt like they toyed with everyone, manipulated everyone. She didn't feel comfortable with talking to Nozomi about what she was told, what had happened to her. She hadn't been given a main shoot, or anymore presents, or been called into any of their offices.

It made her feel guilty, but she wanted the attention.

"Thank you for your time today, Miss Nishikino, Miss Ayase, and Miss Sonoda."

"No, thank you for yours," the three said in unison, gently smiling.

The TV went black, Nozomi's finger poised over the remote's power button, her lips puckered in a silly way. They all sat in silence for a while, Hanayo staring at the ceiling while Nozomi and Nico stared at the TV.

"S-Should we visit Rin?" Hanayo asked.

"Yeah..."

 _An hour later…_

Apparently, Nozomi didn't know where the hospital was, causing Nico to try and navigate a map for half an hour, before Hanayo intervened, just giving Nozomi directions. She gave them out as quickly as possible, Nozomi intent on hurrying.

The three checked in as visitors, Nico and Nozomi following Hanayo through the pristine white halls, the smell of soap, sanitizer, and bleach filling the air.

"Rin! You're awake!" Hanayo skipped into the room, hugging Rin amongst her IV tubes.

"Kayo-chin, you came! Nico and Nozomi, too! How's work been without me?" Rin giggled nervously at the last part, running her hand through her orange hair.

"They paused everything," Nozomi said, "everyone resumes work tomorrow afternoon."

"They had a big press conference today, it was a big deal," Nico added.

"Aww, still, thank you all for visiting me. Apparently I overworked myself..."

Hanayo flicked Rin's nose gently, "That's because you don't wear enough layers, don't take enough breaks, and workout too much. You're always playing a sport or running or keeping your body in good shape. You need a break, Rin."

Rin looked out the window, a faraway look in her eyes, "I can't take a break, I don't have the ability to take a break."

Silence filled the room, Hanayo looking down, her tears dropping down onto Rin's hospital blanket. Rin didn't react, unphased by Hanayo's sobbing sounds. Nico and Nozomi stood in silence, their coats in their hands. Nico looked out the window, watching the February snow fall to the ground. It felt like the room was as cold as it was outside.

Hanayo suddenly stood up, her hands balled up into fists, and ran out of the room. Rin, once again, was unphased, not even looking in Hanayo's direction.

"I have doctors coming in soon, you two should get going."

Nozomi and Nico glanced at each other, walking out of the room in a slow chase after Hanayo. Finally exiting out of the hospital, they found the girl shivering next to Nozomi's locked car. Grabbing the keys from her pocket, Nozomi unlocked it, Hanayo quickly getting in. It would've been a silent drive back to Hanayo's house, except the shy girl's sobs filled the small space.

"Hanayo, what was Rin talking about?" Nico asked.

"I can't reveal that… Never!"

Nico didn't press the matter further, staring out the window. The snow was still falling, getting heavier. She grabbed her phone and opened the weather app; it was going to snow for several hours longer, a snowstorm advisory in effect until the next night. Nozomi glanced over while at a stoplight.

"Hanayo, we need to get you home, the snow is getting heavier. Do you want us to stay with you?"

"N-No… I just want to be… alone…" Hanayo replied, sniffling and sobbing.

"We're only a few minutes away, you'll be alone soon..." Nico said, trying to soothe her new friend. She liked Hanayo quite a bit, feeling they had something in common.

Arriving at Hanayo's house about ten minutes later, they weren't even able to walk her inside, Hanayo grabbing her stuff and running inside, slamming the door shut as she sobbed. Nozomi looked down, as if focusing on the details of her steering wheel.

"Are you prepared for this storm, Nico?"

"Oh, yeah, I've got plenty of supplies at my house, I went to the store just the other day."

Nozomi stayed silent, shifting gears once again and heading to Nico's apartment. They arrived about 20 minutes later, Nico starting to get out when she turned to Nozomi again.

"Hey, do you want to stay here for the night? That way we know the other is safe."

"No, thanks. I'll call you later, yeah?"

"Okay. Thanks for the ride, Nozomi."

"No problem."

Nico headed to her apartment, the cold air filling her lungs, making it hard to breathe. Nonetheless, she looked back, Nozomi already gone. Frowning, she continued to her apartment, dropping her bag when she saw her door. There were packages crowded in front of her door, box after box, a few envelopes on top. They must've been personally delivered to her door, or they would be in Nico's mailbox on the first floor of the complex.

Looking around, Nico quickly opened the door and shoved all of the boxes in through her door, filling part of her small living room with the cardboard cubes. She sat down with the envelopes, one of which was her weekly paycheck, and two other mystery letters. Nico opened the first, ocean blue in color.

Miss Yazawa,

I have heard many good things about you from both your coworkers and my two partners at Promise. Reviewing your resume, you are undoubtedly the 'underdog' of Promise, yet appear to be quite the petite starlet.

It would be an honor to meet you over tea, so I humbly invite you to my home this Saturday. Your schedule for that day has been cleared, your shoots rescheduled for the following Monday. Someone will arrive at your residence on Saturday at noon.

Sincerely,

Umi Sonoda

Nico carefully put the letter back in its envelope, setting it down with a shaky hand. _Don't people normally RSVP?_ She picked up the next letter, this one a lighter blue. She could already guess who it was from.

Nico,

I am deeply sorry that we've been unable to schedule you for a main shoot. We have recently been contacted about a shoot, and are thinking that you are the perfect match. As compensation, please accept these gifts. I thought they would be very fitting for you, and I know you'll wear and use them all.

Though we both have busy schedules, I would be quite pleased if you would accept a dinner invitation from me once my schedule is clear.

Eli

The small, raven-haired girl looked back at all of the packages, wondering if all of them were truly from Eli. She didn't believe that they just gave presents as 'compensation' or as a 'congratulatory gift'.

Heading over to a set of drawers next to her door, she shifted the various items around until she found a box cutter. Locking the door, she briskly walked across the room and shut the magenta curtains. She finally turned to her TV, grabbing her phone and setting it on the music player dock, hitting play on the song 'SELF CONTROL!', turning it up a little.

She grabbed the first box, swiftly opening it. Inside was another lingerie set, a bright pink bra and pair of panties, a layer of beautiful black lace over them.

 _Teki wa dare? Teki wa yowai jibun no kage sa~_

The second box was bigger, Nico slicing it open. Inside was a medium pink coat, the edges covered in soft, black fur. Quickly trying it on, Nico mentally noted that it was perfectly tailored and warmer than it looked.

 _Tooku no hikari e motto Baby!_

The next box was medium sized, Nico discovering a ton of packing inside. It contained an expensive pair of pink headphones, the ear cushions black in color.

 _Koi da ai dato sawagi takunai~_

Grabbing and opening the next box, Nico found a shoebox, a delicate pair of white satin high heels inside. She tried them on, walking up and down her hallway several times. The heels fit her perfectly, incredibly comfortable to boot.

 _Teki wa dare? Teki wa tsuyoi jibun no kyoufu sa~_

The next box was around the size of the previous, inside a bag the color of wine. It had a quilted look to it, gold chains making up the straps.

 _Yume wa yume dato owaru nante dekinai to kidzuita nda~_

There was only one package left, a yellow envelope. Nico opened it more carefully than the others, nervous as to what was inside. Pulling the contents out with her breath held, she tried to estimate how much money the contents had costed. There were several prints of A-Rise inside, all from the shoot that Eli interrupted, as well as a single ticket to their upcoming concert. A small red envelope fell out of the package, Nico nauseated to see it.

" _The three made us agree to a hell of a lot of conditions in order to come here, from specific photographers to tea imported from Britain."_

A call interrupted Nico's thoughts and the song, Nico setting everything down on her coffee table as she made her way over to the phone. Taking it off the dock, she answered and held the phone up to her ear.

"Hello?"

"… How much did I tell you while I was drunk?"

* * *

When in doubt, use random things from SIF cards as gifts.

I would've updated yesterday, but the past couple of days have been very busy. I also got quite stuck on this chapter, but I'm happy with the plot progress. Let's hope this one doesn't have so many errors.

Suggestions for photo shoots welcome in the reviews!

Thank you for reading Promise.


	7. Rose Tea

Nico burst through the glass doors of Promise, Nozomi following closely behind. It had been an anxiety-filled morning, the ground covered in 4 feet of snow after the storm. Thankfully, no one had to arrive for work until the afternoon, giving the city plenty of time to clear the streets. However, clearing the streets didn't mean the temperature had gotten any higher, Nico fighting the cold with her new $8,500 coat.

Nozomi and Nico parted ways, and then the small girl skipped to set E-2. It was Friday, a good day, the day of her first solo shoot. When she arrived, she was amazed.

The set was covered in pink tile, the top covered in frilly, light pink curtains. The floor had big pink and yellow doily-like things, all beneath gigantic cupcakes. The most frontal cupcake had a pink wrapper with white polka dots, a clear wrapper over it, and had vanilla frosting and dollops of yellow frosting, a big cookie sticking out of it. The frosting looked like it would be the perfect place to sit, an indent in the center. There were also two cupcakes behind it, the one on the left strawberry with chocolate frosting and heart sprinkles, the right one with more vanilla frosting and a chocolate thing. It all made Nico hungry, especially considering the photographers had a ton of food off to the side.

"Ah, Miss Yazawa! Ready for your first solo shoot?" one of the photographers asked.

Nico giggled, "Yep!"

"Great! Get changed and get your hair and makeup done, then we can start."

"Yes, sir!"

Taking the bag from the assistant, Nico stripped quickly. She folded up all of her clothes in a neat pile, especially the coat, and turned to the bag. She was feeling good today, wearing the strawberry milk colored lingerie she had received after her first lingerie shoot, minus the socks. She considered herself lucky to wear the lingerie set when she saw the contents of the bag.

First was a puffy, ruffly, cream colored underdress, the short sleeves extra puffy, a ruffly patch in the front, as well. Next was a pink dress with light pink pinstripes, ruffles surrounding the entire skirt, ruffled sleeves, a frilly opening at the chest, and a pointy collar. When Nico put it on, she noticed the frilly opening was perfect to display the cream ruffles, as well as a second layer to the dress, which was light mauve with white dots at the edge. An assistant came over, tying a matching light mauve corset onto Nico, bringing the collar together with a chocolaty-looking heart, and handed Nico a shoe box and socks. The socks matched the cream underdress, puffy ruffles at the edge, and the pink shoes matched the dress, with all sorts of sweet things at the edge.

Nico skipped over to hair and makeup, where they brushed out her hair and put it back into her signature pigtails, using frilly white ribbon, adding a hat that looked like strawberry shortcake or a strawberry cupcake, Nico couldn't tell. Her makeup consisted of blush, light pink eyeshadow, and bubblegum pink lipstick.

The assistants helped Nico onto the front cupcake, handing her a cute silver wand with a cupcake at the top. She posed with a soft smile, her right index finger poised, a charming glitter in her eyes as the cameras flashed and snapped. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw Maki in the back, watching on with a neutral expression. She posed a little more, trying to stay calm.

Next, the assistants took the cupcake wand away from the small woman, handing her various sweets. She relaxed against the cupcake, biting into a chocolate bar as she smiled sweetly, showing off her perfect teeth. Crossing one leg over the other, she gently sipped a strawberry watermelon smoothie, leaving a lipstick stain on the red and white striped straw. The assistants jokingly handed her a strawberry, Nico biting into it and winking, the staff laughing and the cameras snapping.

"Adorable, Miss Yazawa! We're finished with this part of the shoot!" _This part?_

"Set change!"

The assistants helped Nico down and out of her clothes, the small girl looking around. Maki had disappeared, the CEOs practically magicians to Nico. Her attention was finally caught when she was given a white satin dress and white tights. Confused, she quickly put them on and was led to hair and makeup again, where her pigtails were taken out once again and her hair brushed out.

The set had been toned down, stripped down to just the pink tile. Nico sat down in the center, somehow ending up in the very painful W sitting position. One of the photographers pilfered through various boxes of pastries, pulling out a chocolate cupcake for Nico, the decoration on the top like a rose. Handing it to Nico, he grabbed a couple other boxes, stacking them together in a separate pile.

"Okay, we're ready! Take a bit, Miss Yazawa!"

Nico did as she was told, biting into the chocolate cupcake. She was astounded, the frosting rose flavored, the cupcake light, yet rich with chocolate flavor. Careful not to get any crumbs on her dress, she ate away, truly in love with the cupcake while several pictures were taken. After she finished, she was given a small roll cake on a plate and a polished fork. She quickly picked up a bite.

"Wait, wait! We realize this is the best patisserie in the country, but we need to take photos, Miss Yazawa!"

"B-Best patisserie in the country? Le Petit Gateau?"

"Le Petit Gateau."

Nico looked at the bite of the roll cake, her mouth watering even more. She must've been giving them a good expression, several more shots being taken. Once she was given a break, she quickly polished the cake off, savoring it's strawberry and vanilla flavor. Still hungry, she was happy when they gave her a porcelain bowl filled with macarons. There were green pistachio macarons, dark pink raspberry macarons, and yellow lemon macarons. She sat the bowl in her lap, grabbing a pistachio macaron and a lemon macaron, holding them up with an excited smile for a few pictures, then posing and eating a raspberry macaron.

When she was finally done with the food shoot, she got changed quickly, watching the photographer pack up the remaining sweets, an assistant loading the boxes onto a cart.

"Are those all going to waste?" Nico asked.

"Nah, they're being taken to the staff room for photographers, assistants, and other employees."

"Not for any models?"

"We have far too many models for that, Miss Yazawa. It was already kind of Le Petit Gateau to send us this much," Nico turned, "I don't believe we've had a proper introduction, Miss Yazawa. It's a pleasure to meet you, my name is Maki Nishikino." Maki extended a hand, Nico taking it and shaking it.

"N-Nice to meet you, Miss Nishikino."

"I see Eli taught you the marriage thing."

"Y-Yeah..."

"Too much trouble," they said in unison.

Maki checked her watch, "I must get going, though it was a pleasure to meet you, Miss Yazawa."

 _Later…_

Nico got home with a sigh, shutting her apartment door. Never in a million years did she ever think she'd have a chance to taste the pastries of the legendary Le Petit Gateau, and she wasn't even able to take any home. Her eyes were drawn to the envelopes on the coffee table; she'd never opened the red one, but the ocean blue one reminded her of her tea meeting. Sitting down, Nico opened the red envelope.

Miss Yazawa,

Please enjoy.

Maki Nishikino

 _Well, that wasn't anticlimactic at all._ Annoyed, she just went to bed, not even caring that she didn't have any dinner.

Knock! Knock!

Nico woke up suddenly, groggily getting up in, what she though was, the middle of the night. Shuffling her feet to the door, she opened it, suddenly blinded by the bright light. Once her eyes adjusted, she was finally able to see the middle aged man in front of her, his hair beginning to go gray.

"Uh… Do you need something, mister?"

"I am here to deliver you to Madame Sonoda's residence, Lady Yazawa." The man tipped his hat and bowed.

"You must be mistaken, it's nowhere near noon."

The man checked his watch, "It is 12:02, Lady Yazawa."

Nico froze, quickly shutting the door in the man's face and running to her bedroom. Finding her phone among her sheets and blankets, she looked carefully at the clock.

12:03.

Checking the weather, Nico threw her phone back on her bed, rushing around to get dressed. At first, she dressed fairly casually, but then realized she was going to tea with one of her bosses, her highly fashionable boss, and stripped back down again. She grabbed her new coat and white satin heels, setting them on her bed while she thought about what else to wear. She contemplated wearing the dress Eli had given her, but thought the skirt would be too red for the coat. She finally decided to go with a light pink button-up shirt and a black high-waisted skirt, gray and pink argyle knee socks to go with her white high heels. Finally ready to go, she ran to the door, where the man still waited, and got in the fancy car with him.

The car ride was nerve wracking for Nico. She had accidentally left her phone on her bed, distressing her slightly. The scenery soon turned into that of a rich neighborhood, mansions surrounding the car. Not long after that, the driver stopped, opening the door for Nico. She spotted a little silver jaguar on the hood of the car, her jaw almost dropping.

Walking through the doors of the mansion, she found herself surrounded by everything she associated with rich people. Gold chandeliers, maids, marble floors, vases filled with roses, paintings on the wall… It was all there, in every room, Nico checking as the maids led her to a small room. It had a small table and two chairs, massive windows displaying the garden outside.

"Ah, Miss Yazawa, it is very nice to meet you," Umi greeted, her and Nico both bowing slightly, "please, have a seat."

Nico quickly took a seat, Umi taking the seat opposite of her. The woman was dressed in a deep blue tunic, black tights underneath with slightly lighter and brighter heels. She was wearing the charm necklace again.

"Thank you for coming today, Miss Yazawa-"

"Um, please, call me Nico."

Umi pursed her lips, her amber eyes looking Nico over. She made a motion with her hand, a maid bringing in a Delft China tea set. Gently setting two cups down, she poured tea, filling the air with a floral scent. Nico took a sip, the hot tea warming her insides.

"Do you like it?"

"The tea? Yes, the flavor is delightful."

"It should be, it's imported from France. Normally it's tea from China, but I decided to serve rose tea today. Would you like something to eat?" Umi rushed through the imported tea part. Just a little.

"Oh, um, yes!" Nico finally realized how hungry she was.

"I haven't had lunch yet, so I do hope you don't mind no tea snacks."

A different maid came in, holding two domed platters of food. Setting them down, she lifted the domes, revealing golden chicken breast on a bed of alfredo pasta. The pair sat together in silence, slowly eating their meal. Once they were finished, a third maid came in and picked up their plates, a fourth bringing in a platter of cookies and pouring the two more tea.

"So, what are some things you like? Do you have hobbies, Mi- er, Nico?"

"I like idols a lot, and sweets. Music, too. I'm very interested in fashion, and I love to cook."

"Ah, you have quite the fashion sense." Nico felt quite flattered.

"Thank you, Miss Sonoda. I admire your sense of fashion a lot! D-Do you have any hobbies?"

"Hm… I like poetry and archery. They are both frequent pastimes of mine, when I'm not fulfilling my duties at Promise." Nico got quite scared upon Umi mentioning archery.

"Do you three, um… normally take such an interest in your employees?"

Umi stared at Nico for a moment, "We always keep our employees' best interests in mind. You are quite special, Miss Yazawa… unique. It is rare for a girl to have her first job at Promise."

"U-Um… thank you for choosing me."

"Out of 1,000."

"Er, yes."

The two continued to chat for a little while after, until a butler came in, bearing news of a call for Umi. The older woman left for a few minutes, then came back.

"My apologies, Miss Yazawa, it is time for us to part ways."

"Thank you for the opportunity, Miss Sonoda." The two bowed again, a maid escorting Nico to the door. Another came along, giving Nico a small box, then they rushed Nico out of the house. Before she knew it, she was dropped off at her apartment complex.

Walking up the stairs to her apartment, she trudged through the door, setting the box on the table before she collapsed onto her couch. She rested there for awhile, before a knock came to the door.

"Delivery for Nico Yazawa?"

Nico opened the door, greeted by a plain-looking deliveryman. He handed her a package surrounded in colored paper, a ribbon neatly tied around it.

"Uh… thanks..."

She brought the package inside, cutting the ribbon and unwrapping it. The 'package' contained two boxes of sweets from Le Petit Gateau, including cupcakes and macarons. Turning to the box from Umi, she opened it, revealing a single red bean manjuu from a bakery called Homura and a bin of rose tea. Nico cautiously tried a bite of the manjuu.

It was delicious.

* * *

Please leave suggestions for shoots in the reviews.

Thank you for reading Promise.

Edit: I wanted to mention that I've been having problems posting chapters, FFN giving me errors for the last two chapters of Promise (Snow Storm and Rose Tea). I am unsure if I should contact support or not...


	8. Through Purple Glasses

Nozomi's eyes opened, letting in the light around her. Her bedroom always let in a lot of light, while Eli had blackout curtains, holding the light back with a firm hand.

Eli was the miracle Nozomi needed, Promise was the miracle she needed. Her previous situation had been less than desirable, though Nozomi hated to think about it. When she received her job at Promise, she had only a small amount of modeling experience, but not enough to get by. Nozomi's charm had saved her, her natural instinct, though she was still almost fired.

It was all thanks to Eli.

Nozomi never cared that she was being manipulated, being used for sexual favors, anything was better than what she came from. Even now, with Eli's interest in Nico, she wasn't scared. Eli had taken interest in other girls before, used them before, but her interest in Nozomi remained.

This is what Nozomi thinks every single day, and what she vowed to think until her last breath.

She got up and straight out of bed, stretching before she headed to the kitchen to make coffee. Finally, sitting down with a cup of coffee, she took a sip and opened her email app. Promptly spitting the coffee out, she grabbed the package and looked at the flavor.

Caramel.

Nozomi despised caramel with a passion. Dumping the coffee down the drain, she sat back down. Though her stomach growled, she refused to eat anything, having gained a little weight recently. Thankfully, no one had noticed, not even Eli, but it still bugged Nozomi. She looked back at her email.

Miss Tojo,

You have been assigned a solo shoot.

Please report to set E-2.

Promise Publications

Rolling her eyes, Nozomi went into her bedroom, opening the door to her closet. It was massive, like the rest of her condo, storing all of the clothing she had bought or received from Eli. She chose a three layered, black ruffle skirt with blue-violet trim, black thigh highs, shiny black boots, a white shirt with purple splatters, the word ROCK in big, bold, black letters, a black belt, and a lavender coat. Quickly brushing her hair out, Nozomi put her signature low pigtails in, grabbing her phone and heading out.

Roaring her Prius' engine to life, she pulled out and sped off, over twenty minutes late to pick up Nico. When I arrived, Nico quickly ran out of her apartment in her new coat. Nozomi was happy; Nico had finally accepted the gifts she received, Nozomi knowing that she was bound to receive more.

" _Do you think it would be a good idea to take Nico to dinner?"_

"You're late, Nozomi!"

"Sorry, had an early morning epiphany." Nico chuckled.

Speeding off once again, Nozomi hit her record time of five minutes to get to work, the pair slamming the doors and locking the car as they ran inside. Quickly heading up to set E-2, the two parted ways, Nico going to the next set over.

"See ya, Nozo."

"Bye-bye, Nicocchi~"

Walking into set E-2, Nozomi was surprised to see a green screen set up. There was a portion of a set set up in front of it, looking like a casino, but the rest was green screen. Promise almost never used green screens, only owning a few of the annoyingly colored backgrounds.

"Gamble, Miss Tojo?" one of the photographers asked.

"No, never."

"Las Vegas is known for casinos. Apparently a travel agency thought it would make an appealing ad."

"Ugh..."

Nozomi quickly got dressed, being given fishnet thigh highs, a black garter belt, a skin-tight, shiny leather miniskirt, gold trimmed cuffs, a weird red and green top, along with a collar that matched the cuffs, the red bowtie bearing a gold die in the center. Quickly brushing Nozomi's hair out and replacing her scrunchies with gold trimmed black ones, she was ready to go.

Once she got sat down on one of the dealer tables, Nozomi looked around for things to play with. She hated boring or gaudy solo shoots, being in pairs or groups was much better. Plus, she hadn't had her coffee this morning, causing her to be in a terrible mood. Spotting a set of cards, she motioned for it, playing around with it. It was a normal set of 52.

" _Hm… it depends on where you'd want to take her, Elicchi."_

Nozomi glanced over at the camera, squinting a little. She picked two random cards and tossed the other 50 onto the table, almost knocking the chips over. Squeezing one in between her breasts, she took the other into her left hand, flashing a big smile to the camera. Several shots were taken, the photographer giving her a thumbs up, and the shoot was over.

After Nozomi changed, her phone buzzed; a new email.

Miss Tojo,

Due to your tardiness, please report to Miss Ayase's office on the 13th floor.

Promise Publications

" _Mm… maybe that nice Italian place, French cuisine might alarm her."_

Nozomi got on the elevator, pressing the number 13. All alone, she took the elevator up until it stopped, quickly walking out of the elevator. She casually walked into Eli's office, finding the woman drinking tea, a cup opposite of her. Sitting down, Eli poured Nozomi a cup of tea, fixing it just the way Nozomi liked.

"I heard you arrived late again."

"Only from thinking about you, Elicchi." Eli smiled.

"You won't be jealous if I pursue Nico, will you?"

"Are you willing to pursue both of us?"

"I have plenty of money, love, and sexual desires to go around, my dear Nozomi."

Nozomi stared into Eli's vibrant blue eyes, thinking, "Do the Italian place."

"Oh? So you've been thinking about this, haven't you?"

"Nico only has a small apartment, she took the train before I started driving her to work. She's embraced your doting already, you know. And… I wouldn't be lying if..."

"If?"

"Never mind, it's nothing."

"Hm… I wouldn't be the only one doting on her, you know."

"Y-You don't mean…?"

"Yes."

Eli set her cup down, moving to sit down next to Nozomi. She brushed her hair back, kissing Nozomi's neck gently, biting and tugging on Nozomi's earlobes, earning a small whimper. Eli smiled, running her hand along Nozomi's side, settling it on the girl's thigh.

"Would you like to test her, Nozomi?"

"Just don't take her to the French restaurant."

Eli giggled, kissing Nozomi passionately.

 _Later…_

"It's about time, Nicocchi! I've been waiting here forever," Nozomi teased, leaned up against her car while she waited for Nico.

"Soorrrryy, I had to finish my second shoot. Hey, you wanna come over to my place again tonight?"

"Ehh? You're still letting me come after I collapsed in a drunken state on your couch? Seriously, though, it's about time you come over to mine."

"I actually get to see how nice of a place you live in? A nice place to match your nice car?" Nico giggled, Nozomi pinching her cheek in retaliation.

Once their seat-belts were buckled and their bags were in the backseat, Nozomi pulled out of the lot, turned the corner, and drove off to her house. The weather was slowly warming up, the days heading towards March, winter turning into spring. Turning onto her street, Nozomi parked in her assigned spot. Nico got out of the car, staring up at the tall building. While it wasn't as tall as Promise, it was still several stories.

The pair walked in, taking the elevator up to the fifth floor, two condos residing within it. Turning to the left, Nozomi unlocked her door, welcoming Nico in. The condo was painted dark purple, large windows lining the room, covered by light gray curtains. Nozomi didn't have a TV, but a desktop off to the side, a laptop sitting on her white couch. There was an opening to the right of the entrance, opening up to a hallway, Nozomi's bathroom on the left, kitchen on the right, and her bedroom at the end of the hall. The condo was easily twice the size of Nico's apartment.

"This is where you live?! It's huge!"

"Mhmm, for almost a year now."

Nico ran and jumped onto the couch, narrowly avoiding the laptop. Nozomi giggled, settling in next to her, setting the laptop onto the coffee table.

"Hey, wanna watch some Korean dramas, Nicocchi?"

"Which one?"

"Hello My Twenties?"

"Oooh! Which part were we at, again?"

After watching a few episodes, Nico's stomach growled. The small woman complained, and Nozomi tried her best to hide how hungry she was, not having eaten in two days.

"Heey, Nozo, let's order some pizza! What kind do you like?"

"I-I'm not hungry. You can order some for yourself, if you'd like, I can give you my address."

Nozomi's stomach growled loudly, Nico pouting, "Uhuh, not hungry. What do you think you're doing?"

"I… I gained weight…"

"How much? It can't be that much, you don't look any different. Maybe you just grew a cup size, I certainly wish I could..."

"No one's noticed, not even… I gained two pounds! I'm a model, I can't gain weight!"

"You certainly don't want to look like a skeleton, either, do you?"

Tears welled up in Nozomi's eyes, falling down her cheeks. She gripped her stomach as it growled, sobbing and sniffling. Nico grabbed her phone, dialing the number to a pizza place, ordering a large three meat pizza with cinnamon sticks for a side. When the delivery man arrived, Nico threw money at him, taking the boxes and slamming the door, setting them down on the table. Going into Nozomi's rather luxurious kitchen, Nico grabbed two purple plates, filling two glasses with random soda out of the fridge, and went back into the living room. Serving up a couple slices for each of them and opening the frosting for the cinnamon sticks, Nico turned on the next episode of Hello My Twenties, snuggling close to Nozomi as they ate.

 _Later…_

The pair of girls had gotten through three entire episodes of Hello My Twenties, the darkness and cold of night creeping in through Nozomi's windows. Nico had fallen asleep a few minutes ago, her head resting on Nozomi's shoulder.

xxx START xxx

Nozomi kissed Nico, waking the smaller girl up. Even though she was groggy, she slipped her tongue into Nozomi's mouth, swirling it around. Nozomi slid her hands along Nico's sides, pulling her closer. They kissed for a few minutes before breaking it for air, a string of saliva connecting their mouths.

Staring at each other, they got up and walked down the hall to Nozomi's bedroom. Or, at least, they tried, kissing each other once again. Nico started to take off Nozomi's clothes, Nozomi doing the same after she processed what Nico was doing. By the time they got to the bedroom door, the floor was littered with clothing.

Nozomi pushed Nico onto the purple bed, getting on top of her. She bit her neck, Nico whimpering softly, and let her hands roam. She squeezed her small breasts and rubbed her sides, Nico grabbing Nozomi's ass in response. She groped and massaged Nozomi's curves, moaning when the purple-haired woman slipped her fingers into her. It was Nico's first time, so Nozomi took it slow and vanilla, being gentle.

Nico took Nozomi's face into her hands and kissed her again, immediately slipping her tongue into Nozomi's mouth. Their tongues swirled around each other and Nico moaned into the kiss, feeling Nozomi's fingers push deeper. Nozomi kept it up, pushing her fingers in deep and pulling them almost all the way out, satisfied with how the smaller girl wiggled and moaned beneath her.

She wasn't ready for Nico to slip her fingers down Nozomi's body, using her index and middle fingers to press and rub Nozomi's clit, causing her to moan and grind against Nico's delicate fingers. In return and slightly out of rebellion, Nozomi pressed her thumb to Nico's clit, making Nico break the kiss and moan. Taking the opportunity, Nozomi bit one of Nico's nipples and started sucking on it, swirling her tongue over it.

Panting from the new attention, Nico ground against Nozomi's hand, trying to get her thumb to move up and down on her clit. It worked only slightly, being enough to make Nico cum with a loud moan, arching her back in pleasure while Nozomi continued to suck on her hard nipple.

Once she recovered, she pushed Nozomi off of her, laying slightly over her. Nico's right leg was in between Nozomi's, her stomach slightly pressed against Nozomi's side, and she started sucking on Nozomi's left nipple, massaging her other breast and pinching the nipple. Sliding her right hand down Nozomi's stomach, she continued what she'd started previously, rubbing Nozomi's clit with her index and middle fingers once again. Things stayed that way for a few minutes, Nico periodically switching between Nozomi's tits, while the older girl moaned loudly.

Nozomi hadn't met someone who could make her moan like Eli did since, well, Eli. Biting her lip, she tried to stifle her moans and stave off her oncoming orgasm. Questions periodically buzzed in her mind, often put out by the pleasure she was feeling. After about ten minutes, Nozomi finally gave up, cumming with a loud moan, gripping a fist full of Nico's black hair in one hand and her sheets in the other. Nico seemed satisfied with the reaction, tired at the same time, laying on Nozomi for a few minutes before having trouble keeping her eyes open.

xxx END xxx

Nozomi moved the exhausted Nico over a little, tucking blankets around her, before snuggling up to Nico and falling asleep relatively quickly, the sound of their breathing filling the silence.

They were thankful that it was Saturday.

 _Somewhere else..._

"So… no car, and a small apartment?"

"Have you seen her Le Petit Gateau shoot? She's adorable~"

"Says the sugar mommy of the three of us."

"Oh? Not quite to your tastes, Umi? I'm sure Maki and I will treat her just fine without you. Ha! Even if she was to your tastes, you'd just pit her against the maid and the baker's daughter!"

"That's not what I said, and you know it."

"She's flat and adorable, just the way I like them~"

"She looks quite delicious, too~"

"She has proper manners and dresses appropriately."

"So… we all agree?"

"I certainly agree!"

"Perhaps not now. Perhaps we should wait. Introduce ourselves, meet her more in-depth."

"Have her pass a test."

* * *

Apologies for taking so long, HuniePop happened...

Quick definition of 'Sugar Mommy': a woman who typically dotes on a younger person (I, personally, prefer them legal) in exchange for a relationship or sexual favors. A sugar daddy is a man who does this. A sugar baby is the younger person.

Who is the sugar mommy, exactly? Eheheheheeee...

Anyway, after that little lesson with, uh... Teacher SmutMaker, I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter of Promise. Thank you so much for reading.

Requests welcome for photo shoots in the reviews!


	9. Patterns on Silk

Nico opened her eyes and closed them again, snuggling down into the purple duvet. The room felt cold, but the duvet was warm against her bare body. She felt Nozomi move next to her, pressing her large chest against Nico's back and wrapping her arms around the small girl, kissing Nico's neck before snuggling into it.

"It's time to get up, Nicocchi."

Nico rolled over and kissed Nozomi, the pair making out for a bit before Nico broke the kiss, "Why does it feel so… natural? Like it's perfect. It's not even awkward..."

"It was meant to be, Nicocchi, it's what was in the cards." Nozomi got up and stretched, leaving Nico in her comfy, warm bed. The small girl watched Nozomi walk away as her butt swayed with every step, heading to her closet.

"I'm glad I packed a change of clothes in your car… Anyway, what cards?"

Nozomi came out in a purple lace bra and panty set, all see-through, and grabbed a set of cards off her nightstand, holding them up, "Tarot cards, Nicocchi. And I'll run down and get your clothes once I'm dressed, just make some coffee. And take that caramel crap home."

"Ugh, fine." Nico got up and walked to the kitchen, still naked, and made some coffee, setting the bag of caramel coffee in her bag. Nozomi came down not long after the coffee was started and ran out to her car, grabbing Nico's clothes and bringing them back in. While she fixed them both coffee, Nico got dressed in the living room, trying her best to look presentable. By the time they sat down to drink their morning coffee, their phones buzzed.

Miss Yazawa,

Congratulations! You have been chosen to be a main in the cheongsam shoot.

Please report to set 8-B.

Promise Publications

"Eh? What's a cheongsam?" Nozomi asked.

"It's a type of Chinese dress, it's pretty short and normally has flower patterns."

"How'd you know that? Aren't they just recently popular here?"

"Oh, my major in college was fashion. The course on world fashion was actually pretty interesting, and it stuck with me," Nico informed, swallowing the last of her coffee, "Shall we get going?"

"Yeah, it is getting pretty late. Head to the car, Nicocchi!" Nozomi shooed Nico out of the condo, the pair running to the elevator, then sprinting to the car. Once they'd gotten their daily speeding out of the way, Nico finally asking how Nozomi ever got her license, they arrived at Promise, running towards the elevator.

But then they slowed down.

In front of them swayed a blonde ponytail, Eli dressed in dark blue tights, white heels, a light blue sweater dress, and a black leather jacket covered in zippers, sipping at a mocha from StarBs. The pair followed nervously behind her, then looked at the time, and began running again, zipping past Eli. Finally arriving at the elevator, they hit the button numbered 8, only to have the closing doors open again. Eli smiled softly at them, her dangling diamond earrings swirling around in the air, briefcase in hand.

"Good morning, Nico, Nozomi."

"Good morning, Miss Ayase."

Eli twitched at the use of formal terms, and got in with them, pressing the button numbered 13. Nozomi got out her phone and started messaging someone while Nico fidgeted, thinking she might have to get a fidget cube. They finally arrived to the 8th floor, exiting and bowing to Eli as the woman waved, her phone chiming. When the elevator doors closed, they resumed their running.

Arriving to set 8-B, they realized that, for once, they weren't the last ones on set. Honoka, Rin, and Hanayo were already fitted in their cheongsams, all decorated in an array of flower patterns across the front, a subtle, more elegant pattern in the background of the silk, silver Chinese frog fasteners decorating the frilly fronts, sleeves, and slits. Honoka's was a warm orange, the pattern in white, yellow, and a lighter orange; Rin's was bright yellow, the pattern in similar colors to Honoka's; and Hanayo's was the color of spring leaves, the pattern in white, yellow, and lime green. Rin and Hanayo also wore bun covers with yellow and green ribbon, respectively, while Honoka wore an orange ribbon around her side ponytail. The three also wore black shoes with gold heels.

"Ah, Nico! Nozomi!" Rin called.

"Rin! You look so well!" Nico cheered.

"The bosses forced medical leave on me, actually, so did my coach. I was forced to sit around and study..."

"Coach?" Nico asked.

"Yep! I'm in my junior year, on the track and field team. I'm nowhere near Honoka's level though, she was captain of her swim team by her junior year, and she had an actual major, t-"

"Food and nutrition!" Honoka interrupted, almost ramming Rin to the floor.

"Ah, yes, you do cook quite well, if memory serves," Nozomi commented.

"I'll have to invite you over sometime, Nico!"

"I'd love that, Honoka."

"I-Invite me over, too!" Hanayo squealed.

"Deal! Oh! You guys need your stuff!" Honoka gave them their cheongsams, an excited smile on her face, "They're difficult to get on, so you'll need help from the assistants, they're the only ones who know how to put them on."

A pair of assistants came over, Nico and Nozomi undressing, utterly shameless in their lingerie. Nozomi might as well have had nothing on, and Nico was wearing the bright pink lingerie, the pair with black lace. Nico's assistant undid the fasteners, allowing the petite girl to slip into the tight and short pink dress, her pattern consisting of white, cream, and peachy flowers, the style similar to the cheongsam that Hanayo wore. Nozomi, on the other hand, had to take off her bra completely, flustering her male assistant, and put on the bright purple cheongsam, the pattern colored with pinks and purples, a large diamond shape cut out around her chest, displaying her cleavage. Once they got their shoes on, Nico's pigtails were given bun covers at the top, decorated in pink ribbon, and Nozomi's lower pigtails were redone with light purple scrunchies.

The doors to the set burst open, revealing Kotori, "I-I'm so sorry! The train I normally take was super late!"

Kotori stripped out of her clothing quickly, her ashen hair bouncing around as the other models waited. Her cheongsam was white with blue, teal, and gray flowers on it, the style the same as Nico's and Hanayo's. An aquamarine ribbon was put in her strange little bun, and she put on her shoes, taking the red parasol offered to her. Nico was given a little panda plushie, Nozomi whispering that it wasn't a cheap plushie, believe it or not, and a small, foreign menu.

They walked onto the set, which was made to be a stone bridge over a river background, trees and lights set up to give a soft shade. Nico flipped through her menu, and Kotori opened her parasol, then posed as if they were advertising a new Chinese restaurant that just opened up, the panda plushie almost flying off of Nico's head. They posed with the two of them sharing Kotori's parasol, holding the panda, and sipping tea together as they sat on the bridge's ledge.

"Excellent! Set change!"

They moved the sets around, introducing a much bigger set with Chinese-style buildings in the background, bringing in a massive Chinese arch decorated in red, white, and gold. The six of them went up on the set; Kotori leaned against the arch, holding her parasol out; Nozomi leaned over slightly, showcasing the diamond window in her cheongsam; Rin sat on her knees next to Nozomi, the panda plushie now on her head; Nico posed near Kotori, holding her arms out with a large smile on her face; Hanayo was posed turned away slightly, both of her arms behind her, Honoka standing next to her, looking as if she was conversing with the shy girl. Several pictures were taken of the group, and many more of them all in pairs.

"Perfect!"

"Set change!"

The six girls stood and watched as the assistants brought in the next set, which looked like the inside of an ornate tea house. Red lanterns hung from the ceiling of the set, the set decorated in flower patterns and gold trim, luxurious tea tables decorating the floor of the set. Six tea cups were brought in, also ornately decorated in gold.

"Geez, how much does that tea set cost?" Nico muttered. She thought of how much time it would take her family to save up the money for that kind of set, thinking it would take a long time, that there were definitely better things to spend such money on.

"More than a parasol..." Kotori whispered.

"Probably more than one of these cheongsams," Rin commented.

"I wouldn't underestimate the cost of one of these, they're Ranpha brand," Nozomi replied, Honoka and Hanayo agreeing.

"Okay, girls! Want some tea?"

"Yes, please!"

They all grabbed a cup filled with tea, Nozomi receiving hers last. She took a sip, savoring the flavor as she walked on set. The other five were sat down already, waiting, but Nozomi glanced wistfully at the camera, as if recommending the tea. Quite a few photos were taken, Nico thinking, once again, that Nozomi's natural charm came in handy for her.

"If only this were an ad for tea, Miss Tojo."

"At least it isn't caramel," Nozomi interjected, Nico rolling her eyes.

Nozomi finally sat down, the six tightly squished around half of a table, smiling as they sipped on tea and held up their cups, the cameras going wild.

"Okay, let's do some individual shots. Uh… Miss Hoshizora, Miss Koizumi, you're up!"

Kotori, Honoka, Nico, and Nozomi got off the set, watching from the side. Rin pranced to the sidelines, making Hanayo go first. When she got up, her cheongsam had ridden up slightly, the girl blushing bright red and quickly fixing the cheongsam, pulling it down in the back. Consequently, her embarrassment was both documented in pictures and the front came up a little, the slit showing off her right thigh, almost going up to her panties.

"I-It's so short! C-Can't these be made longer?"

Hanayo tried, in vain, to hide her thigh with her right hand, holding the other up to her face, the photographers taking the opportunity to take adorable and sexy pictures. Seeing her struggle, Rin ran up to her, hands like a cat's, her attention caught when the camera focused on her butt.

"Eh?"

"S-So short… It's gonna show my panties to these people..."

"Perfect! Both of you were perfect!"

"I swear," Kotori stewed, "those two always have the perfect energy between them… It's like they're in love or something!" Honoka stayed quiet.

Nozomi giggled, "Well, they are the same age, still in school, they've known each other since they were children. They're kinda like you and Honoka!"

"Don't you dare compare me to her!" Kotori squealed. She tore off the cheongsam, ripping more than a few seams, and grabbed her stuff, walking off the set almost completely naked. The room was completely silent, everyone looking in the direction of the door.

The main photographer cleared his throat, "Er, well, great job, girls! I'm sure we all look forward to working with you all again."

"Thank you, we'd love to work with you as well," the remaining five said, in unison.

Once they all got changed, they headed out, all checking their respective emails. Nico had two, this time.

Miss Yazawa,

You have been assigned to the afternoon lingerie shoot.

Please report to set L-1.

Promise Publications

 _Another lingerie shoot? Don't tell me I'll be alone this time!_

Miss Yazawa,

Due to your misconduct, please report to meeting room C on the 13th floor.

Promise Publications

 _Misconduct?!_

Assuming that anything involving the 13th floor was much more important, she bid farewell to the other four and got onto the elevator, nervously stepping onto the 13th floor. A secretary, Fumiko, led Nico to meeting room C, where she almost fainted.

All three CEOs, sitting next to each other, Eli in the middle.

They all extended a hand, showing Nico to her seat. She noticed two boring men off to the side, looking foreign.

Nico nervously sat down, "Um… good afternoon to you all."

"Good afternoon, Miss Yazawa," the three said in unison.

The two men said something in Russian, Eli replying in the same language. After a short conversation with them, she turned her attention to Nico again.

"Now, Miss Yazawa, we want you to know that certain conduct here is acceptable, other conduct is not," Eli said.

"What conduct?" Nico asked, she was nervous and slightly agitated, afraid of losing her job.

"However," Maki began, "we are willing to forgive such conduct upon the agreement of certain terms."

"Please sign the paper," Umi stated, flatly.

"N-No! What is this about?!"

"It's not like the men are going to understand, Eli," Maki urged.

"They're part of… um… our faculty anyway," Umi convinced.

"Ugh, fine. In exchange for certain services, Miss Yazawa, we are willing to give you other services."

"In exchange," Maki emphasized.

"Certain services? Don't tell me it's anything like that!"

"Knowing Eli, it is," Umi interjected, "At least look at the contract, Miss Yazawa."

"Three contracts…" Maki mumbled.

Nico read over the contract, skimming over all three. They were pretty much the same. In exchange for, literally, certain services, such as sexual favors, Nico would be given all sorts of things, like a place to live and clothing.

"You want me to be… your sugarbaby?"

"Yes!" Maki eagerly said, a smile showing in her amethyst irises.

"Something like that, I suppose," Umi stated.

Eli spoke again to the Russian men, turning back to Nico once the conversation was finished, "Sign if you agree, Miss Yazawa."

Nico sat there for awhile, easily half an hour, staring and reading over the contracts again and again. Finally, she picked up the provided pen, and signed all three. The three CEOs smiled.

"Thank you, Nico." Eli handed Nico a set of keys.

"Please have all of your belongings packed within the next two days," Umi explained.

"Your condo is next to Nozomi's, you know," Eli said, winking.

* * *

Signatures practically signed in blood.

Soon it will be made clear who exactly is my least favorite girl... Anyway, I love the China Dress set! I wish I could get Nico and Hanayo, but I've gotten Rin about four times. Not fun.

Thank you for reading Promise!


	10. Cardboard Boxes

Nico stared at the keys as the elevator went down, lost in thought. She doubted that she knew exactly what she just signed herself up for, but she couldn't find it in herself to care. Putting the keys in her purse, she took out her phone, dialing a number.

"Nico Nico Nii~" Cocoa greeted, "What's up, big sis?"

"Hey, Cocoa, I wish I had more time to talk, but could you put mom on the line?"

"Of course~ Mama!"

"Ah, Nico, I haven't heard from you in so long! How is work going?"

"It's going great, mom, I actually called to tell you that I'm being paid enough to cover rent, so you don't have to worry about that now."

"You must be getting paid quite a bit, sweetie. Oh well, you are an adult now. Just take care of the bill changes, okay?"

"Yeah, of course, mom."

"And Nico?"

"Yes, mom?"

"Come visit sometime, yes? We all miss you!"

Nico giggled, "Of course, mama."

Bidding farewell and hanging up, Nico headed to set L-1. She was greeted with the everlasting energy of Rin, who was bouncing around half naked. She was wearing a yellow midriff camisole that fit tightly, the shape of a cat cut out in the middle, along with a matching yellow thong.

"Nico! C'mon, c'mon!"

Nico giggled, "Coming, coming."

She went over to the changing area, slipping all of her clothes off for the third time that day. Her lingerie was very similar to Rin's, only bubblegum pink and the cat shape replaced with the shape of a bunny. After that, the hairdresser took her pigtails out, brushing her hair smooth.

She joined Rin on set, which was a circular mattress covered in pastel colors. Baby pink, lime green, yellow like morning sunshine, sherbet orange, a soft purple, all with additions of white, entrapped in the comforter. There were bear, bunny, and kitten plushies, as well as little bird plushies. All in all, it was adorable, and very comfortable.

"Ready girls?"

Nico sat on the bed, Rin grabbing a pillow and laying on it, giving a perfect view of the hole in her bralette and the thong. They both smiled, posing very close to each other, and several pictures were taken. Next, Rin sat up, and they both grabbed plushies, Rin taking a bunny and Nico taking a kitty. Nico laid her head on Rin's shoulder, and they smiled softly. Many more pictures were taken, Rin and Nico feeling successful.

"Hm… Could both of you perhaps lay down?"

"Sure!" They said, in unison.

Nico laid down, resting her head in her left hand, her right hand resting by her hip. Rin started to get in position, crawling over to Nico on her hands and knees, her butt facing the camera. Suddenly, sounds of the camera snapping started up, startling both of them. Rin looked back at the camera innocently, slightly startled, while Nico tried to keep her cool and smile sweetly.

"Okay, time to change!"

The pair went back to the changing area, Nico finding a pink bra with white polka dots, Rin finding a yellow bra with white stars, and socks of matching pinks and yellows. Neither of them found panties, Nico wondering if every lingerie shoot was missing some type of clothing. Using her shirt to cover herself up, Nico came out of the changing area, Rin doing the same.

 _Thank god I shaved_ , Nico thought.

They both nervously wandered out, Rin receiving cat ears and Nico receiving bunny ears. They laid down on the bed again, creating a v-shape with their butts facing the camera, hiding their embarrassment. An assistant came onto the set, the pair thankful it was a woman, and sticking a poofy white ball on Nico's butt, putting a cat tail on Rin. They held each other's hands for confidence and stared back at the camera with innocent eyes and devilish smiles. The camera went wild, a big smile on the photographer's face. Afterwards, they sat up quickly, their animal tails miraculously not falling off, and posed facing each other, their sides facing the camera. They shared a bear plushie, Nico also holding up one of the small bird plushies, and the camera went wild again.

"Perfect! Thank you!"

Rin and Nico quickly grabbed their shirts and ran to the changing area, getting out of their socks and bras, replacing them with their own clothes and lingerie. Nico straightened out her black pleated skirt as she slipped her satin white heels on, snuggling down into her coat, which she still thought was way too expensive. Rin came out of the changing area wearing a black beanie with cat ears, a black shirt, a yellow jacket lined with black fur, brown shorts, and black socks with yellow converses. They started chatting when the photographer came up to them, handing them a business card.

"Call me if you ever want… attention, okay?"

"Excuse me?" Nico said, baffled.

"What are you implying?" Rin asked.

"You're fired."

The man's eyes widened, and he turned around, meeting unamused purple eyes. Displeased, unamused, annoyed, pissed off... there were many words that could be used to describe Maki in that moment.

"Y-You can't do that!"

"Eh? I can't? A CEO can't fire someone? Clearly, you don't know your place in this building and don't read your contracts, while others read them quite thoroughly," Maki scolded, glancing over at Rin and Nico.

"W-What was I doing wrong, Miss Nishikino?"

"Ladies, do you feel harassed by this man?" Maki asked Rin and Nico.

"Of course we do, considering what he's implying!" Nico said.

"Maki, I don't like this man..." Rin mumbled.

"And there's your verdict," Maki stated, "Why don't you head up to the 13th floor? I know two people who would just _love_ to know what the hell you're doing."

The photographer hissed and stormed off, right past Maki, the woman wearing a black button-up shirt tucked into a high-waisted, frilly red skirt, a red tie, black tights, and red heels. She opened her mouth to say something, but turned around and walked away instead, her shoes clacking against the hard floor, grumbling as the followed the photographer.

Rin's phone chimed, breaking the silence, "Oh! Kayo-chin is waiting for me outside, so I'll see you later, Nico! Here, this is my number, that way we can text!"

"Thanks, I'll try it later. See ya later, Rin!"

The two parted ways, and Nico skipped along to greet Nozomi, to tell her the news. Finally arriving at Nozomi's car, she slipped in the passenger's seat, Nozomi turning her head dramatically.

"I hear you have some moving to do, Nicocchi," she said, even more dramatically.

Nico giggled, "Yeah, I signed the contracts, they want me to get my stuff packed within a few days."

"Contracts?"

"Contracts. Plural. I read them carefully, it didn't seem so bad."

"It's not so bad at all, as long as you're strategic about it. If they lose interest in you, though, you're done. That's the rule. At least you're located in a convenient location, Nicocchi~"

"You're such a pervert, Nozomi!"

"Heehee~ You want some help packing?"

"I think I need some help with everything."

"Now I can go through your underwear~"

"Perv!"

Once Nozomi parked into the lot, her and Nico headed up to Nico's small apartment. They'd gone to the store and grabbed several boxes, and so, once they got up to Nico's apartment, they ordered some Chinese food and started packing.

They started with the living room, packing up the TV and all of its cords and wires, as well as Nico's music dock, speakers, and DVD player. They took down her magenta curtains and rolled up her black shaggy rug, then sorted through all of the junk in her set of drawers next to the door, packing all of the drawers up. She grabbed idol merchandise and movies by the bunches, as well as some of the manga she'd collected over the years, putting all of it in one box. Then Nico stopped.

"What am I supposed to do with the table and the couch?"

Nozomi laid on the floor, yawning as she looked over at the two pieces of furniture, "Uhhh… hmm… get them in the moving truck somehow? We're probably not strong enough, but mover guys are."

"True… And some of these boxes are pretty heavy, too… Well, we'll work it out, right, Nozomi?"

"Yeah! Now let's go dig around in your closet!"

Nico rolled her eyes, "Let's finish the kitchen and the bathroom first."

"Hmm…maybe just part of the kitchen?"

"Nope, take a box and go pack up what's in my cabinets, I'll take the bathroom."

Nozomi sullenly took a box, looking like a rejected puppy, exaggerating her expression. Nico smiled softly, picking up her own box and heading to the bathroom. She packed up all of her towels, throwing her laundry out into the hallway, then shook out her bathroom rug and put it in with the towels. Going out and grabbing a couple spare boxes, she packed up all of her makeup, soap, lotion, and then packed up all of the cleaning supplies in a separate box, slowly shoving the three out of the bathroom and into the living room.

She strode into the kitchen and grabbed a garbage bag, watching Nozomi carefully pack all of the silverware, cups, plates, and bowls into boxes. She hadn't gotten to the appliances or food yet, Nico settling on the idea to help her as she went back out to the hallway, throwing all of her laundry into the bag.

"Hey, Nozomi, is there a washer and dryer in those condos?"

"Sorta, it depends on the condo. I'm sure if you don't have one, you'll get one."

"Oh, okay..."

Nico sincerely hoped to have a washer and dryer, thinking about all of her long trips to the laundromat in the past month. Sighing, she threw the bag onto the pile of boxes, then went back into the kitchen and unplugged the toaster, setting it into a box, then moved onto the microwave. Soon enough, everything was packed, Nico even remembering to throw the caramel coffee into a box. Her phone lit up; a new email.

Nico,

Will you come to dinner with me tomorrow? It's your day off, and we have some things to discuss about the contract you signed earlier today. I can have you picked up at 6, if you'd like.

Eli

Nozomi glanced over Nico's shoulder, reading the email with Nico. Suddenly, she grabbed Nico from behind, squeezing her small chest, tackling her to the floor.

Nico giggled, then became very solemn, "Nozomi… am I in good hands?"

"Yes, yes you are, Nicocchi."

Nico exhaled with Nozomi's response, then hit REPLY on her phone.

Eli,

I accept your invitation, and thank you.

Nico.

"Now can we move onto your closet?" Nozomi asked, a slight whine to her voice.

Nico sighed, "Fine, perv."

* * *

Sexual harassment is unacceptable, it always should be. But what do I know? I'm SmutMaker.

Here's a tip: When you don't know who to pair one character with in a lingerie shoot, ask your boyfriend to roll his D&D die. It works.

This chapter was very hard, as I am suffering through writer's block and a lot of stress.

Apologies for the shortness, but thank you for reading Promise!


	11. Pinot Noir

Nico stared at the mess in front of her. Not only had her and Nozomi made a massive mountain of boxes right in front of the door, but there were also takeout boxes with little leftover pieces of Chinese food sitting on the table. She pushed away the thoughts of her annihilated closet, which Nozomi had helped pack up, furthering her problem.

She had a date tonight, but no clothes.

"I think we screwed up, Nico."

"I think so, too, Nozomi."

The pair looked at each other, and Nozomi lifted up a box cutter, extending the blade, then smiled nervously. Nico let her shoulders fall, sighing before she grabbed the first box. Half an hour later, they'd managed to dump all of Nico's clothing on her bed, even shoes, to find her something to wear.

"You gotta find something fashionable, Nicocchi, this is the founder of Promise you're going out to dinner with!" Nozomi cheered, sorting through Nico's underwear.

"Eli is the founder? And why are you digging through my underwear?!"

"Of course she is. And, because, you never know how the night will end!" Nozomi dug around a little more, "Oooh! Wear this set!"

She held up the light pink bra, the one covered in white lace with a bow and a pink jewel in the center that paired with the white thong. Nozomi had also fished out a pair of thigh highs, the pair that was sheer white with lace at the top.

The color drained from Nico's face, "Y-You want me to wear _that_? You want me to wear a thong to a dinner date?"

"Yep."

Nico facepalmed, "Fine… But I need actual clothes to wear with it."

"Ooh, right… Oh! How about this skirt?" Nozomi showed Nico a sparkly, sheer black shirt. Its edges were frilly, multiple layers of the sheer fabric used to build opacity.

"I suppose we could use this coat, too, it goes with the thigh highs, right?" Nico held up a white coat, fringe on the pockets and upper arms, along with big loops and big buttons to close it. She tossed clothes to the floor for a while, looking for a shirt, Nozomi keeping a hold of all of the clothes they'd agreed upon. White shirt? No. Dark pink shirt? No. Ruffled light pink shirt? Yes!

"What time is it, Nozomi?"

"5:30…"

"What?! Ah! I've gotta get dressed now!" Nico quickly put on the lingerie, using a white garter belt to keep the thigh highs up, then put her black hair in pigtails, using red ribbon to secure them. She'd thrown her coat on, almost out the door, when she realized something.

No shoes.

"Oh. My. God. Nozomi, I need shoes!"

The two of them ran back into the bed, rummaging around. Nico finally grabbed a pair of medium pink Mary Janes, slipping them on right as she heard a honking noise outside. Nozomi dropped everything, and ran outside. Nico touched up her makeup quickly, brushing on a little mascara, then puckering up and putting on light pink lipstick.

Slipping her phone into her pocket, she ran out of her apartment, slowing down to stare at the blue sports car in front of her. Nico walked over to the car slowly, Nozomi popping up from beside the driver's window.

"Good luck, Nicocchi, and have fun~"

"T-Thanks, Nozomi."

Nozomi opened the passenger door, letting Nico in. They waved goodbye to each other, Nozomi skipping along. Nico watched her go, then finally remembered what she was doing.

"So… where are we going?"

"To an Italian restaurant," Eli stated. Nico turned her head, her hair whipping the headrest, staring at Eli in awe. The blonde had her hair down, a tight blue dress on over fishnet and sheer tights with white heels and a white fur coat.

"Y-You're driving me?"

"Oh? Umi got to you first? Fufufufu… at least I got to see you naked first," Eli winked, giggling as she changed gears and drove them to the restaurant. Her driving made Nico uncomfortably safe, as it was steady, following the rules set by the government, unlike Nozomi.

Once they arrived at the restaurant, which Nico couldn't even read due to the logo's font, they were taken to a table in the non-smoking section, sitting down. Their waiter came back shortly after that, introducing himself fully, giving them menus, and two glasses of water. Nico tried her best to look elegant, glancing through the menu. All of the prices were outrageous, a salad costing $30.

"Pinot Noir will do, thank you," Eli confirmed, "What would you like to eat, Nico?"

Nico looked up nervously from the menu, clearing her throat, "Um… a salad will do..."

Eli scoffed, "Maybe as a side. Anything else you would like?"

"P-Perhaps the chicken breast on a bed of alfredo pasta..."

"Perfect, that goes beautifully with Pinot Noir!" Eli flagged down the waiter, "We'll take the goat cheese salad, some roasted tomato bruschetta, the cheese sampler, alfredo chicken, and the lamb and ricotta ravioli in pesto. Dessert will come later. Thank you."

"Yes, ma'am. I will be right back with your wine."

There was an awkward silence; Eli waiting for the wine, Nico trying to calculate how much this one dinner would cost. Finally, the waiter came back with the salad and wine, pouring the wine for them once he set down their salad plates, then pouring vinaigrette onto the salads.

"Enjoy, ladies, your bruschetta will be out momentarily."

Eli and Nico both took a bite of the salad, amazed with its flavor. The bruschetta arrived a minute later, steam rising from its tomato topping. Eli set her head in her hand, a mysterious smile forming, and she grabbed a piece of bruschetta. She blew on it for a bit, then stretched her arm out to Nico.

"Say ahhh~"

Nico blushed, taking a bite of the crunchy appetizer, Eli taking the second half of it, "Mmmmm, delicious!"

Eli tapped her fingers against the table, watching Nico grab several pieces of bruschetta and quietly grabbing chunks of salad, stuffing all of it in her mouth. It was quite amusing to Eli, but made her happy at the same time, happy to know that Nico felt comfortable. She grabbed a piece of bruschetta for herself, savoring each of the two bites.

"So… what is it you wanted to discuss?" Nico asked.

"Ah, yes, that… You realize you aren't my only… girlfriend, yes? Or Maki's, Umi's."

"Yes, but I'm sure I'll do fine with the other girls, whoever they are. I already do well with Nozomi, so..."

"Nozomi is the only other girl you'll have to get along with, for me, anyway."

"Oh… How many girls do Umi and Maki have?"

"Maki has two, Umi has three."

"O-Okay… When will I get to meet them?"

"You already have," the main dishes arrived, Eli taking a bite of one her ravioli.

Nico thought about all of the models she had met in the past month, which was… a lot. She cut off a bite of chicken, swirling the fork to pick up some pasta, and ate it. The chicken was juicy and well seasoned, the pasta tender and well coated in the cheesy alfredo sauce.

Nico took a sip of wine, "Will I get to meet them again? Like… all together?"

"Probably. That's up to Maki and Umi," Eli picked up a piece of ravioli, holding it over her left hand, "Try this, Nico~"

Once again, Nico nervously took the bite, finding it packed with delicious flavor, "Yummy!" She quickly slapped her hands over her mouth, feeling her cheeks burn with embarrassment over her immature vocabulary.

Eli giggled, "Such a cutie!"

Nico nervously sipped at her wine, "When can I move into my condo? How much is the rent?"

"Rent?"

"Y-Yeah, monthly payments..."

"It's already paid for, you can move in as soon as you're completely packed. Just let me know, okay? You can have time off for it, vacation time or something like that."

"… I don't have to pay you anything?"

"..."

"Right..."

 _Perhaps Nozomi can help me find some new furniture, her condo looked big_ , Nico thought, continuing to slowly eat her chicken and pasta. Halfway through, she realized that she hadn't given a bite to Eli, and decided to repay Eli's kindness. Cutting a small bite and swirling it in pasta, she offered it to the blonde.

"Please, have a bite."

"Why, thank you, Nico." Eli happily ate the small piece of chicken, then took a sip of wine afterwards. They continued to eat for a little while longer, somehow maintaining enough room for dessert at the end.

Eli flagged down the waiter again, "I'll take tiramisu, please."

"And I would like some panna cotta, thank you," Nico added.

"As well as two dozen canoli to go," Eli said, "and some champagne."

The waiter left, looking uncomfortable with the amount of canoli, and brought back two glasses of champagne a few minutes later. Not long after that, the tiramisu and panna cotta arrived, gently set down, and two boxes of canoli were set on the table. He bowed, then walked away.

"How was Promise founded, Eli? Were all of you friends before?" Nico asked, eating a small spoonful of panna cotta.

"That's a very long story, Nico. And, no, I'd never met the other two before I created Promise."

Nico looked down, then back up to Eli, watching her eat tiramisu, "Aren't dates good times for long stories?"

"After-sex cuddles are good times for long stories. But those aren't planned for tonight, not yet."

"How'd you meet them, though?" Nico didn't touch on the after-sex cuddles, nervous to think about it.

"Maki came to me, born and raised a rich girl, thinking Promise was a lucrative business. Umi came on a few months before, freshly in control of her life, wanting to expand her life experiences, a family business under her reign."

"So you are the founder."

"Yes, I'm guessing Nozomi told you and you didn't believe her." Nico looked down at her panna cotta, nervously taking another bite, feeling blood rush into her cheeks. Eli giggled, finishing her tiramisu and sipping at her champagne.

From out of nowhere, Beethoven's 4th Symphony started playing, Eli growing a look of frustration, "Pardon me, I must take this call," she picked up the phone, listening to the person on the other end for a while, "I see..." she hung up, clenching her fists, "Those damn Sirens!"

"Is something wrong?" Nico asked.

Eli cleared her throat, finishing her champagne, "My apologies, Nico. Unfortunately, this appears to be the end of our date, something has come up. May I take you home?"

"Oh, sure..."

Eli grabbed the two boxes of canoli, then paid for their meal. Walking out to Eli's car, they got in and drove back to Nico's half-packed apartment, where she didn't even know if Nozomi was still there. Once they arrived, Eli turned to face her again.

"I'm very sorry we had to cut our night short, you almost got a story out of me."

"It's fi-" Nico was interrupted by Eli kissing her, only lasting a few seconds, nothing super special happening.

"Goodnight, Nico, and thank you."

"Goodnight to you, too, Eli, and thank you..."

Nico walked to her apartment, looking back to watch Eli drive away, then kicked a small rock all the way to the stairs. She sighed, and went into her apartment, finding Nozomi on the couch, watching something on her phone. A magazine was on the table.

Nozomi pulled one of her earbuds out, "Hey, Nicocchi! How'd it go?"

"It was… amazing. She took me to an Italian restaurant, the food was so delicious! Oh! And I've got canoli!"

"Ooh, if I know the place you're talking about, their canoli is good."

"Let's share some, okay?"

"Yay! Oh, your issue of Promise magazine arrived today, since it's almost March."

"My issue? Does that mean you didn't get in it?"

"Nope, I got in, it was just sent to my condo. Here! Look! Look!"

The picture was of Kotori and Nico, with Kotori leaning against the frame of the Chinese arch, holding her parasol out towards the ground, Nico smiling with her arms outstretched, both in their cheongsams. Nico smiled, incredibly happy. They flipped through the pages, eating canoli. Fuu Saiki had an advertisement for a sports drink in there, featuring her in a bottle of the liquid, Hanayo had the photo of her with her butt in the air, Rika Kamiya and Yuri Mido wore paintball inspired overalls, Isabella had a black and white shot wearing military inspired clothing, Honoka and Nozomi had a shot of them playing tennis to advertise the newest tenniswear, and Rin had a closeup shot from the shoot she did with Honoka. There were many more pages, but Nico was amazed at how amazing all of the models did.

With one final canoli each, they decided to keep packing, but one thing stuck in Nico's mind.

Who were the Sirens?

* * *

Announcement:

In the coming updates to Promise, the rating will be changed to M. I have thought long and hard about such a change, debating whether or not to put smut into this story or not. As a solution to those who do not desire smut in the story, there will be something that signals the beginning and the end of the smut. However, the rating will be changing to M for more than just smut, as Promise was intended to be a dark, rather serious story from the beginning. This story is not innocent, it is not fluffy; it will be getting darker and contain some mature themes, themes of which do not pertain to sexual situations at all. Unfortunately, I am unable to divulge exactly what these themes are, as they would spoil certain parts of the future story.

Thank you, and I sincerely hope you continue to read Promise.


	12. Red

A party was going on, something to celebrate Nico moving into her condo. She'd invited Nozomi, of course, Rin, Hanayo, Kotori, and Honoka. They had all managed to make it except Kotori, who politely turned down the invite, the five of them knowing exactly why.

While Honoka unpacked in the kitchen and started prepping for dinner, the remaining four moved in furniture and unpacked Nico's belongings, the pastel pink paint finally dry from the days before, the massive sheets of clear plastic removed from the hardwood floors. The condo was easy to navigate, simply a mirror of Nozomi's condo across the hall.

Rin pushed Nico's couch into place with the smaller girl's help, Hanayo hanging new curtains across the windows, the fabric dark pink in color, ruffled with many small pink bows. Once the couch was placed, Rin stretched her back, breathing heavily. She leaned against the couch for a moment, fanning herself. How she felt hot in early March, she had no idea. Feeling something run down her upper lip, she looked down, blood dripping onto the couch.

"Rin! Your nose is bleeding!" Nico panicked, grabbing a tissue and holding it up to Rin's nose.

"I-It's fine, I just need a minute in the bathroom," Rin consoled, tipping her head back and keeping the tissue at her nose. She quickly walked into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her and turning the light on. Nico was a good friend, a good companion for Maki, something that often ran through Rin's head.

The orange-haired girl threw the tissue in the trash, turning the cold water on. Staring at her exhausted reflection, she tried to slow her breathing down. Rin thought the nosebleeds had stopped, that the hotflashes would stop, the heavy breathing. Maki had made her expectations clear, just as Umi had, so Rin had quit. She couldn't lose them, lose their support, the red fluid running out of her nose a reminder of her silent promise.

" _Do what you want tonight, Rin, I have unexpected business to attend to."_

Though Maki didn't know Rin had heard what she said under her breath, it still haunted Rin, Maki's hushed remark ringing in her ears.

" _Kurosawa…!"_

Hanayo didn't seem worried about Maki, but Rin did. It made her depression amplify, her dreams become more nightmarish, Rin becoming less and less able to distinguish the separate parts of her life.

"Rin? Are you doing okay in there?" Hanayo asked.

"Is your nose still bleeding?" Nico added.

"I'm fine, I'll be out in a minute! You guys go on without me," Rin replied.

She splashed cold water in her face, a shiver running down her spine from the temperature. She wiped the blood away from her upper lip, then stuffed her nostrils full of toilet paper, slipping extra into her pocket. Heaving a big sigh, she ran her hand through her short hair, then turned and exited the bathroom.

Looking around for Nico, she spotted her with Nozomi, carrying boxes back into her bedroom. A box started slipping out of Nozomi's arms, causing Rin to sprint and catch the box, feeling her heart race.

"Um… What do you want me to do about the blood on your couch, Nico?" Rin asked.

"Oh, nothing. Trying to clean it up will probably make the stain worse, so I'll just cover it up with a blanket or something."

"You're not bothered?"

"Nope."

"Hey," Nozomi piped up, staring at Rin, "are you okay? You look absolutely exhausted and, frankly, unhealthy."

"I agree," Nico said.

"I'm fine, you two."

"Rin… no..." Hanayo muttered, no one hearing her.

"We've all had a long day! Let's eat!" Honoka called.

The four of them headed into the kitchen, finding that Honoka fixed some of their favorites. Japanese food was Honoka's specialty, making it easy for her to fix a ramen bowl for Rin, stuffed rice balls for Hanayo, yakiniku for Nozomi, and fried rice for Nico. They all dug in, happily munching away at their food, keeping room for the desserts that Honoka prepared.

"I've got an idea," Nozomi said, "let's tell secrets!"

"S-Secrets? What kind of secrets?" Hanayo asked.

"Any. Let's start with small stuff, then get into more complicated stuff!" Nozomi cheered. She pointed to Nico and winked.

"You're so weird, Nozomi. Fine, in high school, I wore low pigtails like you, but I changed them after getting confused for someone all the time," Nico looked around the table, rolling her eyes at Nozomi's giggles, "You go next, Nozomi."

Nozomi pouted, "Hmph. I didn't ever go to college, but I want to."

"Ooh, what do you want to major in?" Honoka asked.

"I don't know, maybe psychology?"

"That could be interesting," Hanayo commented, "I guess I'll go next, since the topic is in the air. My major is art, but I wanted to do veterinary medicine at one point. I don't think I could stomach seeing animals hurt, though..."

"College is hard, I went into fashion because I thought music would be too much of a battle for jobs. I don't know what I was thinking, fashion is worse," Nico ranted.

"Sports are even worse, it's such a competition," Rin mused.

"Sporty girls are always flat, like Nico," Nozomi commented.

"I'm not flat!" Honoka said, glaring at Nozomi.

"Excuse you, I have a B cup," Nico proudly declared, flipping her pigtails.

Nozomi glared at Nico, "There is _no way_ those are Bs, maybe As, if not double As."

"How dare y-"

"Hey, what's a dirty secret of yours, Rin?" Nozomi asked, continuing to nibble at her yakiniku.

"S-Secret? Um… Oh! I'm allergic to cats."

"That sucks, cats are so cute!" Honoka squealed.

"Y-Yeah..."

"I suppose it is my turn though… I don't hate Kotori."

"She certainly seems to hate you with a passion," Nico commented, resting her head in her hand.

Nozomi clapped her hands together, "Let's start over! Better secrets though, okay? Dirty secrets!"

"I… like… bubble bathes with my rubber ducky..." Nico managed to choke out. Honoka and Nozomi both burst into laughter, Hanayo smiling, and Rin covering her mouth, small giggles escaping her mouth.

"What?! Fine! You tell me a dirty secret, Nozomi! Give an example!" Nico ranted.

Nozomi stopped laughing, her smile dissipating, "Once, what I like to think is a long time ago, I was in an abusive relationship."

Nico stopped, straightening herself out a little, "I never knew, Nozomi..."

"I-I don't think any of us knew..." Hanayo added.

Perking up, Nozomi pointed at Hanayo, "You're next!"

"Mine's nowhere near as secretive as yours though..."

"C'mon!"

"O-Okay… I struggle a lot with my weight. Food is just too good!"

"Especially Honoka's food," Nico added.

"Awww, thanks~"

"It's your turn, Rin," Hanayo encouraged.

"Hm..." Rin tried to stay away from darker secrets, "I had a verbal tick when I was younger."

"What was it? Was it absurd?" Honoka asked, getting excited.

"Not telling!"

"Dammit, I wanted to knooooowww!"

"Same," Nico and Nozomi said, in unison. Rin giggled.

"Let's see… My family runs a sweets shop in Japan," Honoka began, "But I hate red bean paste..."

"That's certainly peculiar," Nozomi said.

Rin was relieved when a knock on the door prevented Nozomi from beginning a new round. Nico got up and answered the door, bringing a box into the living room. It was medium in size, a perfect square. Nico opened it, carefully pulling out a little tree.

"What… is it?" Rin asked.

"A wish tree," Nico replied.

"I've heard of those, they're so cool!" Nozomi said, gently touching the leaves.

Nico glanced into the box, noticing a dark blue envelope at the bottom, as well as a separate envelope, which she assumed contained tanzaku, the little pieces of paper to write wishes on.

"Perhaps we should each think of a wish," Honoka said.

"That would be so cool!" the others cheered.

After Nico set the wishing tree down on the table, they all sat down and ate dessert, chatting once again. Thankfully, at least for Rin, their secrets discussion didn't resume or come up. They joked and laughed together, the discussion wandering all over the place, from Nico's bra size to Honoka's remarkable cooking.

Finally, Rin got home, leaning against the door of her apartment. Her chest heaved up and down as Rin tried to catch her breath, the air in her lungs warming up. She slid down the door, sitting on the floor. Even though she felt exhausted, her entire body and mind was restless, and she knew she would never get to sleep tonight.

" _Kurosawa…!"_

Rin had heard that name before. Little snippets of conversations that she heard, specifically from Maki. They were the enemy, the other publication company, Promise's rival, something along those lines. Siren Publishers, the ones who published magazines and books, just like Promise. Apparently, there was some sort of bad blood from the past.

Rin ran her hands through her hair again, slowly standing up. Her apartment was messy, but at least it didn't smell like a jock's apartment. She glanced at her living room table, seeing her ceiling reflected in the little mirror. Instinctively, she took a step towards it, but stopped, and turned to her bedroom. Pulling off every piece of clothing she had, she got into bed, staring at the fan on the ceiling.

Whirling, whirling, whirling…

Rin opened her eyes again, faced with two very familiar faces, one of blue and one of red. They were scowling at her, dissatisfaction and disappointment in their eyes. They each lifted a hand up, clenched into fists, white powder slowly escaping from their hands. Rin tracked it with her eyes, watching the substance land onto a distorted mirror below, slowly being absorbed. She felt blood run out of her nose again, causing her to look up at the sky, filled with darkness and stars. The stars didn't twinkle, they were dull and dim, almost blending in with the black oblivion of the sky.

Jolting awake, Rin shivered. She was completely naked, the way she preferred to sleep, and covered in sweat. Panting again, she reached out a shaky hand and grabbed some blankets, pulling them up over her shoulders and closing her eyes tightly.

She wished that the past would remain behind her.

* * *

A stressful week for me is certainly in the past, as well as choosing the subject for this chapter. It was hard.

After quite a bit of extensive research, and prior knowledge, it seems that Nico doesn't have a bra size at all? Even the lowest that the Japanese sizes seem to go is a B, according to charts, for some stupid reason. I don't know.

In the last chapter, _Pinot Noir_ , there were quite a few errors, which have been fixed. Once the rating is changed, a new scene will be added to chapter 8, _Through Purple Glasses_. It has been brought to my attention that the transition between chapter 8 and chapter 9 is... odd, and rather alarming.

Thank you for reading Promise, and I hope you continue to read as the darker themes become more apparent. This is a chapter that strongly hints at a darker theme, can you guess it? I'd like to think it's easy, but I know everything.


	13. A Missed Opportunity

Eli pulled up to Promise, parking angrily, almost tearing out her car's transmission. Gritting her teeth, she threw on her sunglasses and stepped out of her car, slamming the door. She walked up to the doors, Umi and Maki coming out of nowhere, falling into step behind her. They changed their expressions to look blank until they were past the army of press, all of their employees avoiding them as they stomped towards the elevator.

"This is a shit storm," Eli commented.

"Like love," Umi added.

"I only agree with Eli," Maki muttered.

The elevator finally opened, Maki pressing the button labeled 13, and then they waited. They stepped onto the 13th floor, perfectly in sync, and made their way to meeting room A. Opening the door, they were greeted with three _lovely_ faces, as Eli would put it.

Dia Kurosawa sat at the end of the table, a wicked smirk on her face as she twirled her long, dark brown hair around her fingers, her white barrettes in their usual places. She wore a skirt suit in the color of blood, the red rivaling Maki's usual color scheme, and her teal eyes twinkled with mischief.

Kanan Matsuura sat next to her, not even noticing the Promise Trio come in. Her dark blue hair was in its usual ponytail, though appeared slightly wet, just like the rest of her hair. She wore a black button-up shirt and white high-rise pants, her purple eyes staring at her nails, which peeked out of a dark green trench coat.

Mari Ohara twirled all about the room, her companions ignoring her lack of professionalism. Her hair loop bounced with every movement, along with the rest of her blonde hair, and her purple dress twirled around as she spun, her matching heels clacking against the floor. She spotted Eli, who looked annoyed, and twirled over to her, grabbing her cheeks and making the other blonde smile.

"Such a pretty bomber head, yes? Show me that shiny smile!"

"Say one more word and I will kill you, starting with your damn fingers," Eli muttered through her forced smile, glaring at Mari.

"Ni nen buri desu ka?" Mari asked, her accented Japanese sounding strange.

"Mari, this isn't the time for pleasantries, you're clearly annoying them," Kanan said, "Why don't you come sit next to me?" Mari did as she was told, leaping into her seat, accidentally pushing it several inches away from the table.

Maki and Umi sat down, Eli continuing to stand, "What do you think you're doing?! CYaRon made a deal with us, and you just steal them?!" she yelled, her ponytail swaying slightly.

"They were _thinking_ about a deal with you," Dia contradicted, "they just happened to hear from their dearly beloved childhood friend before signing with you. Right, Kanan?"

"I can see both sides."

Dia rolled her eyes, "Besides, who wouldn't come to their big sister? Face it, Ayase, they chose us, not you."

"And, you took A-Rise from us," Mari added.

"Eh, A-Rise didn't even try us, too particular, apparently," Kanan finished. Dia and Mari both gave her a momentary glare, and she shrugged.

Mari took out her tablet, bringing up a video. It showcased the three girls of CYaRon, who had recently become quite the popular pop group, performing 'Genki Zenkai DAY! DAY! DAY!' As always, You Watanabe danced with enormous energy, dancing to Chika Takami's right, Ruby Kurosawa to her left, maintaining her usual cuteness. They danced well; You never losing her red beret, her red shorts held up by matching red suspenders, Chika's red plaid skirt bouncing around, the decorative gold chains jingling and shining, Ruby's pigtails practically danced in the air, her double layer skirt fluttering around. Despite their energy and dancing, their voices were steady.

"Aren't they pretty~?" Mari mused.

Dia smirked, "Adorable, is more like it!"

"Eli," Umi whispered, "what are we supposed to do? We can't sue, they hadn't signed the contract."

"And it's not like they stole one of our magazines from us, we've maintained that," Maki added, her voice even quieter than Umi.

Before they knew it, Mari had skipped over, placing her hands on top of their heads, smiling widely with ignorance, "What are you talking about, pretty ladies?"

"I need a bow and arrow," Umi muttered.

"I need a vacation," Maki mumbled.

Eli cleared her throat, ignoring Mari, "How about this, we both publish them, we both make them deals?"

"Excuse me?" Dia said, scowling in disdain.

"Interesting idea," Kanan commented.

"Or, we can sit them down at the same time and give them offers, and see which one they choose," Eli added.

"Kanan," Dia beckoned.

"Two deals would be better for CYaRon, as it's more publicity, and it would declare a winner in our little rivalry, and be more beneficial for both of us, considering the sales. Making them choose would put them under stress, in which they already have enough of, but also put an end to this small battle," Kanan explained, staring at her phone, scrolling through her emails. She was completely uninterested in the actual meeting.

Dia huffed and took out her phone, dialing a number, "Little sister, could you bring Watanabe and Takami to Promise? …Yes, 13th floor, meeting room A."

 _Set L-2…_

"Perfect, keep it up, Miss Minami!"

Kotori sat on her knees, using both of her index fingers to poke her cheeks, smiling brightly at the camera. She wore light gray lingerie, white ruffles lining the matching pair of garments, big, charcoal bows at the center of her bra and each side of her panties. Her ashen-colored hair was in its usual style, which she'd worn since childhood.

Though she smiled brightly, she was anxious and paranoid. Normally she was relaxed during lingerie shoots, as she was normally solo and had started out doing adult magazines, which often had her in much more perverted and provocative positions while she was completely nude. People had been suspiciously following her around recently, though, and now someone was watching her from the darkness of the room, someone who hadn't participated in the shoot at all. In between positions, she would periodically peer over to the person, who'd stood still the entire time, in the exact position.

When she went to Umi about the suspicious people a few days ago, Umi had simply muttered, "It happens. You do work in many popular magazines, you're bound to have fans, Kotori." The currently scantily-clad young woman remembered the flat tone in Umi's voice, how it sent a shiver down her spine.

 _Meeting room A…_

Nine people filled the table's seats, Promise on one end, Siren at the other end, CYaRon in the middle. Eli sat in the middle of Promise, Dia in the middle of Siren, Chika in the middle of CYaRon. The three younger girls fidgeted, not maintaining eye contact with any of the six women. Dia had the signed contract in front of her, and Eli had the drafted contract in front of her.

Chika finished her small braid, then let it go for about the third time, "So… what did you want to discuss?" She looked side to side, from the Promise Trio to the Siren Trio, uncomfortable.

"Double deals," Dia and Eli said in unison.

"Haha," You giggled nervously, "what?"

"You make deals with both parties. It means more publicity," Kanan stated.

"And more publicity would be to your benefit," Umi finished.

"So… a deal with each of you?" Ruby asked, twiddling her thumbs.

"Yeeesss!" Mari squealed happily.

"So cu-" Eli clamped her hand over Maki's mouth.

"Don't start now."

The pair of founders both slid the contracts, signed or unsigned, over to Chika. She looked them over, her thoughts interrupted by Kanan.

"Normally, your manager would be the one to sign such deals, but… I don't think you want her dealing with that in her… eccentric manner."

"Besides," Maki began, "you are adults." Umi rolled her eyes at Maki's slight melancholic tone. Dia noticed as well, glaring at the redhead.

Chika let her other two team members read the contracts, then they whispered to each other for awhile before coming to a conclusion. The orange-haired girl looked up, "It looks like we have a deal, right, You, Ruby?"

"Right!"

"Y-Yes."

Chika quickly signed Promise's contract as the leader of CYaRon, then slid it back to Eli. A question popped into her head, "W-Was that even legal?"

"Of course, Mari is certified as a notary," Dia mentioned with a smirk.

"T-That's a rather unusual thing… out of place, really," You said. She received no response back.

The Promise Trio stood up, bowing to the six other women, "Thank you so much for your time today."

 _Now get out of our building, Sirens,_ Eli thought. CYaRon walked out gracefully, the Sirens following after them. Maki and Umi straightened out and kept their eyes closed, Eli stayed bowed, glaring at the Sirens out of the corner of her eye. Once they knew all six were off the floor, Eli stood up, putting her hand on her hip.

"Perfect."

"Indeed."

"Agreed!"

They glanced out the windows of the room, watching as the sun set from its high position in the sky.

 _Later…_

Nozomi and Nico walked out of Promise, heading to Nozomi's car and back home. Honoka and Kotori followed behind them, shivering slightly against the slight cold of early March. Once Nozomi and Nico separated from the group, Kotori split off, too, Honoka following her with her eyes.

"Hey, Kotori, don't you want a ride home? It's chilly out," Honoka asked. She was genuinely worried, as Kotori was only wearing a thin jacket.

"Not from you."

Kotori strutted on, unaware of Honoka's fallen expression and worry. It was dark, the streets barely lit by the streetlights, but Kotori continued on to her bus stop, being the only way to get to the train station safely at night. She kept her hands in her jacket's pockets, clutching her keys tightly.

Stopping, she looked behind her, only to find the street completely empty. Suddenly, she saw something out of the corner of her eye. A hand came out of nowhere, clamping over her mouth with a cloth.

The funny smell was the least of Kotori's worries as her consciousness faded.

* * *

I even managed to put a couple of references in there. Though, I doubt this is how deals are actually made for magazines, but let's pretend it is for this story. Also, the document I call 'Overview' has finally been completed, so I can get onto the dark stuff of this story with confidence!

As of this chapter, the following edits have been made to prior chapters:

An additional scene was added to _Through Purple Glasses_ for transition. Due to this scene, Promise's rating has officially been changed to M.

The ending sentence in _Red_ was changed to fit my initial desires.

In the beginning, I intended this chapter to have an additional scene in it. However, I concluded that this scene was best left out, as it made me uncomfortable to put in. The main point of the left out scene will be gathered and/or assumed in later chapters, but it is not needed for continuity or transition. Please do not ask for this scene to be added, as I will not honor your requests.

Thank you for reading Promise!


	14. Disconnect

Umi stared out the window of Eli's office, peering into buildings taller than Promise, looking over the buildings shorter. She tapped her foot in impatience, the beige heel clacking onto the marble floor over and over. She liked beige, it went well with blue and black, all of which her current outfit contained. Her beige trench coat had been left on her chair, leaving her in a white button-up shirt, a blue underbust vest, and black pants.

She listened intently at the buzzing noise on the other end of her phone, before the same message played: _"Hiii~ This is Kotori Minami, leave a message at the beep~!"_

"I'm sorry, Nozomi, I know we've been postponing your shoot a lot, but we can't locate Minami," Eli explained.

No one, or at least no one that Umi knew of, had heard from Kotori for days. The last any of the models had seen her was last week, and Nozomi had a shoot scheduled at the beginning of the week with Kotori. Victorian dresses, to advertise a gallery, something like that; she couldn't remember what Maki had said specifically. It was Thursday now, and Kotori hadn't shown up for work all week.

Umi sighed and hit call again, holding the phone back up to her ear. The line wasn't busy.

"I was actually excited about this shoot, Eli. But I get here on Monday and I wait for two hours on set 11-C!" Nozomi was a feisty girl for Eli, Umi knew that much.

"I know, Nozomi, I know."

"Eli-"

"And I know what you're going to say next, so don't say it. Kotori hasn't been here to receive her consequences, nor can anyone get ahold of her."

"Just… stop assigning me the shoot and wasting my time, assign it again when Kotori gets back."

" _Hiii~ This is Kotori Minami, leave a message at the beep~!"_

Umi hung up, gripping her phone tightly, "Just make it to your afternoon shoot, Tojo."

"Of course..." With that, Nozomi left, angry mumbling coming from her mouth.

The two CEOs were completely silent for several minutes, the only sounds filling the air being the tapping of Umi's foot and Eli's nails. Umi hit call again; no busy signal.

"How many times have you called her in the past 24 hours?" Eli asked. Umi could see the blonde's expression without looking; it was one of blank boredom, a relaxed expression that could almost be considered lustful, her blue eyes burning with a passion for anything other than the actual conversation. It couldn't be said that Eli was heartless, or selfish, she was the most loyal of the three of them. Kotori was simply a distraction at the moment, when they had better things to discuss.

Umi hung up the phone prematurely, "Have a good lunch, Eli."

"…You, too, Umi."

Briskly walking out of the senior CEO's office, Umi brushed past Maki, ignoring her frustrated, tsundere comment. Maki was always nice to others, always commenting on the cuteness of this or that, but, around Umi and Eli, she was honest, doing things out of care, then acting like she put no effort into it, no thought for the people it was meant for. Of course she was this way, though, acting that way in front of other people would be unprofessional, and Maki had expectations to live up to, like Umi, unlike Eli.

Umi got on the elevator, as the stairs always took long to actually be realistic. She was soon completely out of Promise, abandoning the building. Even though she'd left her coat in Eli's office, Umi was unphased by the slight chill outside, enjoying the blooming and budding trees that randomly littered the city.

Stumbling upon a jumbotron attached to a building, she marveled at its size. The music video for CYaRon's newest song, _Kinmirai Happy End_ , began. It was energetic, the trio's smiles wide and happy as they danced. Umi dialed her phone again, watching the almost hyperactive dancing.

" _Hiii~ This is Kotori Minami, leave a message at the beep~!"_

Umi hung up and began walking again. After walking a block or so, she walked into a noodle shop, ordering chicken ramen and vegetable tempura. While she waited for her order, Umi dialed Kotori's number again.

" _Hiii~ This is Kotori Minami, leave a message at the beep~!"_

"Order for Sonoda!"

Umi grabbed the bag of food and dialed once again, holding her phone up to her ear as she walked back to Promise. After a couple of rings, the call was rejected by the other end. Kotori, at least, was alive. Or, that was what Umi optimistically assumed.

Stepping through the glass doors, Umi walked down the hall, distracted. She nearly ran into Rin, who came out of the bathroom, a blood-soaked piece of single-ply toilet paper at her nose. The pair stopped in their tracks, Rin removing the toilet paper from her nose and hiding it behind her back. She was almost completely naked, only wearing a dark blue pair of panties covered in stars and a yellow sports bra.

"U-Umi, good afternoon..."

Blood started running out of Rin's nose again, Umi instinctively stepping forward to wipe it away. She glared at the blood on her thumb, looking up at Rin through her eyelashes. She grabbed Rin's face, smearing blood on the girl's cheek, and tipped her head up. Rin's yellow eyes darted all over, finally looking into Umi's similarly colored eyes.

"I thought I made myself clear," Umi stated, her voice laced with a threatening tone.

"It's not what you think, Umi… I quit, I swear, I quit!"

"You've quit several times, Rin, then you go right back." Blood was beginning to run down onto Umi's palm.

"I quit, I promise."

Umi let go of Rin, "Go clean yourself up and put some clothes on. Now." Rin averted Umi's stern gaze, running back into the bathroom, holding her nose.

Exhaling deeply, Umi continued on, getting into the elevator again. Almost all of the employees ran out of the elevator, leaving only a single one behind Umi. It was Nico, who appeared to be watching a music video on her phone, or a live performance, Umi couldn't tell.

"What are you watching?" Umi asked, her voice piercing through Nico's bubblegum pink earbuds. After pulling one out, the small girl showed Umi the video. It was of a very beautiful woman at a piano, her light pink dress and magenta hair catching the lights above.

"Her name's Riko Sakurauchi, she sings and plays piano, isn't it amazing?!"

Umi stared at the pianist, unable to hear the song very well, "How famous is she?"

"U-Um… moderately?"

Umi said nothing in return, hearing the elevator ding for the 12th floor. Nico took a step forward, heading out, before Umi grabbed her arm. She squeaked in surprise, cut off by Umi kissing her, before the older woman pulled away.

"I'm clearly not the first to get to you," she observed, then shooed Nico out, "Go on."

As the doors were closing, Umi noticed that she'd left blood on Nico's jacket, noting to herself that she'd have to buy a newer, better one for her new pet. Finally, she strode into her office, setting down her food. Grabbing her laptop, she absentmindedly slurped up noodles and munched on tempura, searching for a suitable replacement for Nico's bloodstained jacket.

"Ohoho, so the modest Umi still slurps her noodles!" Maki exclaimed.

Umi looked up, seeing Maki and Eli at the door, their lunches in hand. They sat down with Umi, Maki opening up an order of spaghetti, Eli pulling a chocolate, banana, and strawberry crepe out of her bag. The three ate in silence and peace for a few minutes, before Eli started staring at Umi.

"What's with the blood?"

Umi froze, glancing at the dried blood on her palm, then glanced over at Maki, "It's nothing."

Eli looked between the two, noticing the exchanged glances, "What is it?"

"N-Nothing," Maki muttered.

"Uh… huh..." Eli mumbled, taking a small bite out of her crepe, glaring at the two.

"Oh, have you heard of that pianist?" Umi asked, trying to steer away from the current topic.

"There's many pianists in the world, Umi," Eli commented.

"I think she's talking about Riko Sakurauchi," Maki mentioned.

"Do you listen to her music? Got a crush?" Umi asked. She stared at the blood on her hand, getting up and walking over to her desk.

"N-No, of course not, don't get in over your head, Umi."

"Maki, you're not convincing anyone. Now, Umi, why do you bring her up?"

Umi got out a moist towelette, wiping her hand clean of blood. With one final glance at the wet cloth, she threw it in the trash, turning to Eli, "I saw a video earlier, she seemed interesting."

"She sings beautifully," Maki added, "Not that I've heard a lot of her music, of course."

Maki's fellow CEOs ignored the last part, the three finishing their lunch in silence. Umi was still shopping for a better jacket, Maki was trying to think of her favorite song of Riko's, and Eli was deep in thought. Umi dialed her phone again, listening to it ring. Once again, the call was rejected.

"We could get a leg up on the competition," Eli mused, tapping her chin in thought.

"I think I have a few calls to make," Maki answered.

"Just let me know how it goes," Umi replied, giving her generic answer to a conversation that she wasn't paying attention to. She'd found the perfect jacket for Nico; it was fuzzy, light pink with cream polka dots and trim, and had bunny ears on the hood and a floofy bunny tail. Umi pressed ORDER, ignoring the price.

"Ooh, it has matching boots..." Umi mumbled, Maki and Eli walking out with a shrug of their shoulders.

One last time, Umi picked up her phone, dialing the same number. She waited.

" _Hiii~ This is Kotori Minami, leave a message after the beep~!"_

* * *

Suspenseful filler. Not much more.

Thank you for reading Promise.


	15. Waltz

Storming into set 11-C, Nozomi saw the ashen-haired girl and clenched her fists, ready to take a fist full of the squeaky-voiced girl's hair and drag her into Eli's office. Nico grabbed her hand, staring right into her turquoise eyes. Hanayo and Rin were already there, Honoka following in after Nico and Nozomi. Shrugging Nico away, Nozomi retained her composure.

Honoka ignored Nozomi's hushed swear words and Nico's soothing whispers, tapping Kotori's shoulder. Her past rival shuddered at her touch, turning around quickly, maintaining a closed off stance.

"Kotori? Are you okay?"

"What does it matter to you?!"

"What does it matter?" Nozomi interjected, "How about waiting days for a shoot? Four mornings that I could've been doing something else, that I could've been getting paid."

"Nozomi, calm down, please..." Nico pleaded. The photographers and assistants started getting anxious, one of them choosing to sneak out of the room.

"K-Kotori? What happened?" Hanayo asked, her voice cracking.

"Leave me alone, loli. That's who I work with: lolis, sluts, and a drug addict!"

"Say it again!" Rin yelled, Hanayo grabbing her arms.

Honoka grabbed onto Kotori's arm, making her push Honoka hard. Landing on the hard floor, Honoka barely kept her head from hitting the marble. Nico came between the pair of rivals, Hanayo keeping Rin away from Kotori.

"Watch what you're doing, you could've hurt her!" Nico exclaimed.

Kotori scowled, "Why do you care? Don't you realize what you're in for, sugarbaby?"

"E-Excuse me?" Nico asked.

"How can you accuse her of being the same as you?" Honoka asked, standing up.

"And the same as you?" Kotori said, "Of course, at least we aren't drug addicts!"

Rin finally broke free from Hanayo's arms, grabbing Kotori's hair and pulling at it hard. In response, Kotori punched Rin's nose, causing the more athletic girl to step back, holding her nose. Nozomi stepped up, shrugging Nico and Honoka off, grabbing onto Kotori's arm. When she tried to pull away, Nozomi dug her nails into Kotori's skin, drawing blood. In a vain effort to fight back, Kotori got ahold of one of Nozomi's low pigtails, pulling on her dark purple strands. Nico and Honoka ran up to the aggressive pair of girls; Nico tried to loosen Kotori's grip on Nozomi's hair, Honoka tried to keep Nozomi from digging her nails deeper into Kotori's arm.

"Stop this at once!" Umi commanded, pushing the two apart, causing all four to stumble back. Kotori was left with a clump of Nozomi's hair in her hand, blood dripping from her arm and onto the floor, Nozomi's hand covered in her blood. Maki ran over to Rin, her degrees in medicine coming in handy.

The redhead looked back at Umi, "Broken nose."

Umi rolled her eyes, "I can understand the high tensions, but we are professionals. We aren't in a soap opera, a TV drama, some tacky romance novel, a dramatic piece of fan-fiction. Now we have three people out of the shoot, that's almost half the models."

"T-Three?" Nozomi asked.

"You two are on probation," Umi pointed at Nozomi and Kotori, then glared at Kotori, "and you and Rin are injured. You're a fool if you don't think we won't look through surveillance records."

"Come on, Rin, let's get you fixed up," Maki comforted.

"B-By nose..." Rin said, her speech garbled from her injury.

Hanayo started to walk with the pair, before Maki stopped her, "You have responsibilities, Hanayo, stay here. I'll bring you to the hospital later, okay?" Maki whispered the last part, Hanayo nodding slightly.

Hanayo, Nico, and Honoka watched as Rin was helped out, Kotori and Nozomi following Umi out. They stood there, assistants bringing the dresses over. Stripping down, they managed to stuff themselves into tight corsets, then into large, puffy dresses.

Curlers were put into Nico's hair while she was helped into her dress. It had three tiers, the top tier the same medium pink as the bodice, which was divided and buttoned with gold, and an intricate banded pattern was at the bottom of the top tier. The next tier was light pink, bearing a floral pattern and a slightly darker pink lace at the edge. The two tiers split at Nico's right, revealing ruffled layers of the final and pure white tier. At the bottom of Nico's back rested a large, dark pink bow that was the same color as the sparkly rose resting at Nico's chest, right in the middle of another bow. Straps kept the massive dress on the small girl's shoulders, white fur coming across the tops of Nico's arms and in behind the bow. After doing light makeup and pulling her curled hair into pigtails, the assistants put perfectly fitting, dark pink gloves on her small hands and a pink hat on her head, several roses around the brim.

Hanayo's hair was left alone, her corset pulled tight over her busty chest and slightly chubby abdomen. Her dark green dress, unlike Nico, had four tiers, the top tier gathered to the front and draped elegantly. The next tier was ruffled and pastel green in color, an even lighter green creating a floral pattern upon it, the edge decorated with white ruffles and gold trim. The white ruffles of the trim blended in slightly with the next layer, which was simply white with a frilly edge, followed by the last layer, colored light green with a pattern of green and yellow flowers. Above the bodice was a light yellow-green shall covered in a layer of white fur, a bow in the middle that was a green version of Nico's. To top it off, she was given sheer, black, sparkly gloves with ruffled white wrists, a necklace with flowers, and a headband covered in green flowers that tied below her chin.

Honoka was the last to get dressed, all of her orange hair pulled into a side ponytail and put into a single, large curler while she got into her dress. It was much different than Hanayo's or Nico's, featuring a white top with long, gathered sleeves and a ruffled, light orange neckline, dark orange straps coming out from underneath it, and a dark orange bow with a light pink rose in the center. From that was a dark orange corset and skirt that split in the center, a large bow in the back and a slightly smaller bow in the front with long tails. Underneath that was a creamy orange layer that gathered at the sides, fastened by gold beads, covered in a pattern of red, orange, and pink flowers. The tiers below alternated between white and pale yellow. The hairdresser released her hair, placing a headband similar to Hanayo's on Honoka's head, covered yellow, pink, and purple flowers, pristine white gloves placed on her hands, her and Nico being given fans.

"Ready, ladies?" the photographer, Akemi, asked. She was well known in the photography world, recently hired by Promise as they expanded more.

Nico, Honoka, and Hanayo nodded, slowly moving to the set. All three of them grumbled, wondering how women in the Victorian era lived without smartphones, pants, internet, and tampons.

The set was grand, looking like a ballroom. It was practically made of gold, a large chandelier hanging down, a stark contrast to the dark blue, night sky background beyond it. The floor was polished to a gleaming shine, the material made to look like marble.

Akemi glanced at a piece of paper, "Okay, so, just dance!"

"I don't think you want us to dance, Miss Kikuchi. We're girls of the 21st century," Nico warned.

"Yeah, a dance like this would require, like, a tango or something!" Honoka explained.

"A tango is Spanish, not English..." Hanayo corrected.

"Haven't the three of you seen enough movies to look like you're dancing something classy?" Akemi asked, glaring at them over her glasses, "Just make it theatrical!"

The three sighed, clearly unable to get out of dancing. Deciding to go slightly against Akemi's, perhaps even the gallery's, wishes, they all held hands, leaning back slightly, and spun in a circle. Giggling, their dresses fluttered around their feet, the ruffles bouncing and catching the light of the chandelier above. Akemi moved around, taking as many shots as possible of the little dance, clearly the most active photographer in the building.

Honoka departed from the circle, Nico and Hanayo beginning to dance as traditionally as possible. Feigning the Waltz, Honoka clapped gently against her fan to keep the idol loving duo on rhythm. Akemi continued to take pictures, now on her knees, while Nico spun Hanayo around, the ruffles on their large, Victorian dresses brushing past each other.

Once Hanayo was in Nico's arms again, they danced a little longer before Nico twirled Hanayo into Honoka's arms, the athletic and princely girl catching Hanayo in her right arm, the pair bending low. The assistants clapped and slightly fangirled, Akemi taking lots of pictures.

"Okay, we need a group shot next!"

"Got it!"

At first, the three came together with Hanayo at the left, Honoka in the middle, and Nico to the right, displeasing Akemi when Honoka and Nico raised their fans. She went up on set, camera bouncing on her chest, and switched Honoka and Hanayo, positioning Honoka and Nico with their fans open, just slightly in front of their faces. She seemed happy with the pose, and took pictures again.

"Well, it's not what the gallery wanted, exactly, but you three did amazing! I look forward to working with you three again."

"Thank you so much, Miss Kikuchi!"

 _Meanwhile…_

Umi and Eli watched the security footage, Nozomi and Kotori looking at their hands behind the two CEOs. Eli kept arguing that Kotori was the first one to physically start the fight, Umi accusing Nozomi of provoking the ashen-haired girl. In the end, they decided to give equal punishment, agreeing that Rin already received a punishment, of sorts.

"You're both on probation," Umi stated.

"For a month," Eli finished, then looked over to Kotori, "But that's the least of your punishments. Not even calling into work? For a week? No one could reach you, then you come back and start a fight."

"We've got to reorganize the entire schedule now," Umi complained, her voice monotone.

Tears welled up in Kotori's eyes, "I… I was raped..."

Nozomi scoffed, glaring at Kotori, "Are you serious? Are you really trying to get out of this?"

"I told you suspicious people were following me!" Kotori screamed at Umi. Tears were streaming down her cheeks, her fists clenched.

"And that excuses you from calling into work how?" Umi asked, her expression a mix of annoyance and worry.

"We tried to contact you multiple times, you wouldn't answer," Eli added.

"Can I be excused?" Nozomi asked, arms crossed, "I already know my punishment, I get a month to relax and take Nico to work, visit Rin in the hospital."

Eli sighed, "Yes, Nozomi, you can go."

Nozomi quickly got up and left, gently closing the door to Eli's office. The two were left alone with Kotori, who was still crying and sniffling. She pulled a tissue out of the box on the table, blowing her nose and drying her face off.

"Did you report the incident to the police?" Eli asked calmly.

"No, I didn't know who he was. I just… ran away as soon as I could."

"You could've reported a description with the incident," Umi informed, Kotori's shoulders falling, "Now, was any method of birth control used?"

Kotori stayed silent, fiddling with her tissue, causing Eli to sigh, "Not even Plan B?"

"No..."

"God, what, are you pregnant?" Umi asked incredulously. Kotori started crying again.

"Oh my..." Eli mumbled.

"Do you want an abortion? I'll pay," Umi offered.

"E-Excuse me?" Kotori deadpanned, "A-Abortion?"

Eli and Umi exchanged glances, the blonde's gaze returning to Kotori, "It's an option, always an option."

Kotori looked angry, clearly about to say no, when Umi silently left. She said nothing to either of the other two. Eli watched her go, Kotori continued to stare straight ahead with dead eyes. The blonde went over to her, ponytail swaying, and sat down, rubbing Kotori's back in soothing motions.

Promise's retention rates were high for a reason.

After awhile, Kotori stood up and politely bowed, exiting Eli's office quietly. She walked to the elevator, ignorant of all the worried gazes cast in her direction. Patiently waiting for the elevator to arrive on the first floor, her ears were filled with empty, foreboding silence.

Stepping out, she headed out of the building. Spotting Nozomi venting to Nico, Hanayo listening as she waited for Maki's bright red sports car to pull up, Kotori decided to stay inside until the pitch black Prius left the parking lot. Honoka came up beside her, worried.

"Are you okay, Kotori?"

"I think… I've been cut off and fired..." Kotori responding, not even caring or realizing that Honoka was asking the question. Tears streamed down her face as Honoka pulled her into a hug.

It felt good to be hugged.

* * *

Fun fact: research has proven that hugs calm you down. They've broken it down scientifically.

I was feeling a little burnt out on this chapter, but it really had to happen, so...

Follow me on tumblr for M rated, original stories: witchieknight on tumblr. I don't know how many people will be interested coming from Promise, but, might as well.

EDIT: An anon said they couldn't find my tumblr. The actual address is witchieknight . tumblr . com without the spaces. Hope this helped!

Thank you for reading Promise!


	16. Broken

Honoka hesitantly opened the door, looking back at the mess of ash colored hair draped across her couch, tissues littering the couch, floor, and table. She had welcomed Kotori into her home, the girl depressed, the sweet smile she wore in her photos gone. With a sigh, Honoka turned around and left, leaaving for work.

 _Early morning, Promise..._

Eli and Maki both flinched, witnessing something they had never seen.

"God fucking dammit! GOD! FUCKING! DAMMIT!"

"Umi, calm down," Eli urged.

The blue haired woman was currently destroying everything in their break room, having finally lost her perpetual cool. She was wearing nearly all black, her stiletto boots keeping her feet from the broken glass. Her flat chest heaved up and down, freshly out of stuff to break or throw, and she screamed again, all of her joints locking.

"Three models down, one launching a fucking lawsuit against me," Umi stated, "A FUCKING LAWSUIT!" Her voice had turned from eerily calm to banshee-level.

"We're rich, Umi, we can afford a lawyer," Maki retorted. Eli quickly jabbed the redhead in the arm, hearing a small whimper from pain.

Umi walked over to the large window, looking down; the press had formed a small crowd, Umi arriving to Promise at 3 AM in order to avoid the massive crowd. Out of the corner of her eyes, Umi saw both Eli and Maki come to her side, looking down.

"We still have the CYaRon deal, and our designers haven't terminated their contracts," Eli reassured.

"Not even the show we funded?" Maki asked.

"Not even that."

"I didn't even fire her..." Umi muttered.

"We have her contract, she consented to the personal relationship," Eli, once again, reassured.

"She should've read the fine print..." Maki whispered.

 _Later..._

Honoka ran through the glass doors of Promise, breathing hard as she caught up to Nico and Nozomi. They were both wearing jeans and white tank tops, using jackets to fight the hint of cool spring brought. Honoka basically wore the same, since it was casting day.

"I wish I could run that fast..." Nozomi mumbled.

"I wish I had legs long enough to cover the same distance while running that fast..." Nico said.

Honoka panted, "Are they really doing a fashion show? Like, with a real runway?"

"Hohoho," Nozomi laughed, "I hear they're featuring major brands and showing to some real stuck up people."

"Here?" Nico asked.

"It is a major city," Hanayo said, joining their little gossip group.

"That's because there's a massive university and two magazine companies. I doubt there's many people over 30 that live here," Nozomi explained.

"Oh!" Honoka squeaked, "That reminds me, how's Rin doing?"

Hanayo smiled, "Better, she's here for the casting today. I think she's already waiting with the other models."

Realizing how much time they'd spent talking, they dashed to the casting room. Rin was sprawled out on the floor, a large bandage on her nose. She smiled once they arrived, sitting up; she'd saved room for them. Once they all sat down, they changed out of their shoes and into heels, tucking their jackets in their bags. All of the models Promise had on their roster were in the same room, filling it with idle chatter, ignorant of the CEO coming in.

Eli's blonde hair was in a tight bun, a light blue tunic draping elegantly off of her chest, black tights covering her pale legs, matching light blue heels gracing her small feet. She had a tablet in hand, looking around the filled room and glancing back down at the tablet before calling attention to herself.

"Hello, ladies," the room quickly quietted down, "I'm sure those of you who had even a quarter of a brain cell could tell when we hired new models that Promise is expanding. That was only the beginning, and from behind the scenes we've been working on branching out. We are still the private magazine with our own models, but with this next expansion phase, we are expanding our selection of magazines, we are funding and collaborating to produce our own commercials and fashion shows. We, as a company, already have tremendous influence in the fashion world, but we are striving for more. We want to do more!" The girls all clapped, filling the room with endless noise.

'That's a powerful speaker...' Honoka thought. She'd never known Eli very well.

"Now, to continue with our expansion, we are casting all of you again with a fine tooth comb. We want to know what you can do, what you want to do, and how well you can do these things. After all, what is Promise's unofficial motto again?" Eli asked.

"You have to do anything to work at Promise!" the models said in unison.

"Exactly. Today, I ask you hand in the questionnaire we have given by tomorrow. After that, you will get an email with your casting time. If you do not hand in the questionnaire by then, you will be let go and we will give your job to one of the thousand models that we rejected in the recent expansion."

'That's brutal…' Honoka thought, listening to Nico and Rin commenting the same.

"You're all dismissed," Eli said, watching them leave, "Miss Kosaka?"

Honoka stopped on her way out, her stomach knotting and churning, turning around, "Y-Yes, Miss Ayase?"

Eli had a straight face, nearly blank of expression, "I heard you let Miss Minami into your home. Take this," she said, handing Honoka an extra questionnaire, "we never fired her, but make it clear that if this isn't completed, handed in by you or Miss Minami by tomorrow, she has effectively quit, and will officially no longer be employed by Promise."

"Of course, Miss Ayase..."

Finally leaving, Honoka looked over the questionnaires, "Swimming? Fear of heights?" she muttered. She walked right past the others, so lost in the items listed on the questionnaire that she didn't hear them offer dinner and going over the questions as a group.

 _Later..._

Kotori stared at the paper, Honoka unable to tell if she was actually reading it or not. The girl looked dead in the eyes, and she practically smelled like death, having not showered in days. Honoka fidgeted, her arm beginning to ache.

"You have until tomorrow, okay?" she said, her voice filled with forced, unsure cheerfulness.

"Yeah." Was all the response she received, Kotori setting the sheet down on the table.

Honoka retreated to her room after fixing dinner, filling in the questionnaire by herself. Some of the questions were bizarre, like what are your worst fears, what are you allergic to, would you be willing to be underwater or near water.

'Is it really worth it, in the end?'

* * *

After a year long break, I have a chapter. Personal things were in the way for the entirety of the year. Hopefully this is good enough, as I don't think it's my best.

When I started Promise, I knew nothing about the modeling industry. It seemed like an interesting idea, so I went with it. But, thankfully, the modern world has TV shows for everything, and I have watched about three and a half seasons of America's Next Top Model.

Have a recommendation for a photo shoot? Send it in.

Thank you for reading Promise, and for faithfully waiting so long.

Edit: Fixed a huge plot flaw.


End file.
